Every Bit of You
by SugarBeatAngel
Summary: Larxene has agreed to marry Luxord, a man she doesn't love, in order to maintain her family's wealth. The only problem is, there's more deceit involved in this whole mess than she bargained for. Complete!
1. Dear Diary

Alrighty…

Hello everyone, and welcome, to the fourth installment of my "Give the Nobodies Another Life" series! Yeah, I know. Four! Wow, who would have though I'd make it this far? This story is HETEROSEXUAL, holy crap. So if that offends everybody please just hit the back button now. (Lawl, just kidding. Cause, you know, usually people make a big deal out of homosexual material so I thought I'd turn it around and make a funny. I fail.)

If you're new to my fiction, know that I am prone to go on rants and tangents at any given moment, deal.

Also, DISCLAIMER TIME!

I don't own KH or the characters. Duh.

**Now listen, and listen well. This story takes place in a time where racism was common. I am NOT, I repeat, NOT a fucking racist. There will be characters that use words like "nigger" and "caffer" and other derogatory language. But bear in mind that this is a fiction story and for the life of me, if I hear somebody say they are offended by the use of the words I'll brand you the biggest moron ever! Words are nothing more than words, and a person who is not able to rise above them and keep their head held high without lashing out immaturely is just lowering themselves to the very definition of the word "nigger" itself, which means IGNORANT.** That being said, these aren't words that are going to get slung around and used every chance I get. Not all the characters are racist and not all of them treat blacks badly. You'll see what I mean. So just relax.

Now, all that aside let me explain the writing style. Most chapters will start with Larxene writing in her diary, and then jump to a flash back, then back to her diary and then to another flashback. If this starts to get too confusing, let me know and I'll change the style. Hopefully though, it'll be simple enough to read.

Other than that, enjoy!

* * *

_March 03, 1922_

_This is my second attempt at keeping what my mother refers to as "a well documented account of the life of a young lady," but I hear most normal people call it a diary. And I can tell you, diary, my mother is anything but normal. She has the most ludicrous ideas stuck in her head, and one of those ideas is that I marry some man I've never met. I suppose that is why I turn my pen to your pages today. If I had friends I would be asking their advice and not wasting my last few moments of sanity pouring out my frustrations on you, but I digress._

_Diary, this whole mess started ten years ago. I was nine, and just as happy as could be for any regular little girl. I'd just arrived back from boarding school when my father decided he wanted to lay upon me the biggest brick he could find…_

_--_

"Daddy! I've been waiting for you for nearly an hour now." Larxene tapped her foot impatiently and stared up at her father with crossed arms. "Why weren't you _here_ when I got back!? You were supposed to pick me up from the train station!"

"Now, now darling…" Vexen cooed to the irritated little blonde before him. "Daddy was just returning from a trip himself." He pulled out a large package from behind his back and handed it to his daughter. "I brought this to you from abroad, from London."

Larxene squealed and snatched the package out of her father's hands. "Oh, what is it Daddy!? Is it a doll!?"

Vexen chuckled and patted Larxene's head. "Well, open it and see."

"Oh! I bet it _is_ a doll! You always bring me dolls back from business trips!" Larxene tore at the silk ribbon binding the lid to the top of the package and cast it aside. She thrust way the stuffing in the box and reached inside but she found nothing. "I-its empty."

Vexen shook his head and took the box from his daughter's hands. He peered inside and then turned the opening to face her. "What do you see at the bottom?"

Larxene squinted into the dark hole and reached in to pull out the thin piece of paper that she hadn't noticed at the bottom. "A photograph." She examined the picture closely and furrowed her brow. A boy, no older than fourteen, was staring at her with a very cocky smirk on his face and some form of prestigious looking uniform covering the rest of his body. She stared hard at the photo before turning her gaze up to her father. "You brought me back a photo?"

"He is the son of a British business associate of mine. Isn't he quite handsome Larxene?" Vexen placed a hand on his daughter's shoulder and smiled. "Your mother has been bothering me for a while to find you a suitor, and I think he's just perfect. She'll be quite pleased, I think."

Larxene curled her nose in disgust and threw the picture to the ground. "No! I wanted a doll! Why didn't you bring me back a doll!?"

"Larxene, you are nine years old now. You are far past the age of playing with dolls. It is high time you become a young lady, don't you think?" Vexen picked up the picture from the floor and handed it to his daughter who quickly forced it away again. "Now, Larxene, don't make me be stern with you."

Larxene grabbed up her dress at the sides and glared at her father as she turned to run away. "I hate you daddy! I hate you forever and ever!"

--

_After that day, my father and I never had a decent relationship and I blamed my mother for this because, after all, it was her idea to find me a suitor in the first place. And now today, on the eve of my nineteenth birthday, I was to meet this suitor whom I have loathed since I learned of his existence. And although I could refuse him, regretfully there is a new factor in this situation. My parents are becoming progressively bankrupt. Unless I marry this man, we could lose our mansion, our fortune, and everything good we've ever known; and though I am loathe to help my parents, this also effects me. It looks as though I have no other choice._

_But this evening was a disaster..._

_--_

Larxene sighed and pulled the last hot roller out of her hair. She fluffed the curl with her hand and gave it a spritz of holding spray before turning her eyes back to her makeup. Her young servant, Naminé, was busy behind her trying to tie her bustier as tightly as possible. "Don't try too hard. The last thing I want is to appear too sexual. Remember, I'm really not trying to impress this man."

Naminé nodded quickly. "Yes, I know. But Miss Larxene, he did seem awfully handsome when I caught a glimpse of him arriving. Perhaps this arrangement won't be so bad."

Larxene let out a low snort and rolled her eyes. "I'm only doing this so that my family won't go bankrupt. If my mother wasn't such a racist, we'd be able to have black servants instead of white ones, and you know full well that black servants make a lot less money that white servants. That's half our family's money problems right there! And then my mother pouring all our money into prohibition groups a couple years ago wasn't the smartest idea since a good portion of our livelihood was alcohol exports. All of it just to spite my father, and now she wonders why we're broke."

Naminé shrugged and tied Larxene's bustier tight. She then pulled the woman's white gown off of the mannequin in the corner and helped her get dressed. Once Larxene was completely dressed, Naminé stood back and looked at her with a smile. "Well, you may not _want_ to impress your suitor, but I don't think it can be helped. You look absolutely beautiful, Miss Larxene."

Larxene sighed and looked at herself in the mirror. "I do. Though, I suppose it can't be helped." She sighed and clamped her earrings on her ears. "Well wish me luck. I'll need it to survive this encounter."

Naminé giggled and ushered Larxene out the door. "Go save my job!"

Larxene rolled her eyes and started down the hall. This stupid débutante ball was her father's idea. A chance for her to get to know her suitor in the guise of a harmless social gathering that put her on display. But this was anything but harmless. It was humiliating. She spotted her father waiting for her at the top of the stairs and stormed over. "Well, I'm ready for you to parade me around like a piece of meat."

"Don't be so volatile." Vexen held out his arm for his daughter. "I'd think you'd be happy that I rolled out such an extravagant event for you. Most young women your age would die to have a private cotillion."

"The point of a cotillion is to show that a woman is available for marriage to suitors. Not just one suitor. Many. Ones she can _choose_ from." Larxene took Vexen's arm and scowled. "This is hardly a choice of mine. You're merely holding this ball in an effort to save face. You're afraid everyone will think you're old fashioned by choosing a suitor for me and now I have to play the part of the complacent little daughter who swoons over the handsome British man." She glared at her father out of the corner of her eye as they began their descent down the stairs. "And just so you know, I despise you for it."

"Just be congenial." Vexen hissed between clenched teeth. "I expect this to go flawlessly." Once they reached the bottom of the stairs, he signaled the trumpet player to announce their arrival as they entered the ball room. After the man had blown his horn, Vexen cleared his throat and looked out at the crowd which had hushed to a mere whisper. He smiled and motioned to his daughter proudly. "May I present to you all my lovely daughter, Miss Larxene Even."

Larxene curtsied to the crowd before her and smiled graciously as she received a round of applause. The music then picked up and her father lead her across the ballroom where a slew of men stood on the other side. Some of the faces she recognized, others she did not. But there, smack in the middle of them all, was the face she feared to see the most. She curtsied as she was lead down the line of _supposed_ suitors, each one returning her curtsey with a bow. As she reached the end she felt her father spin her around to face the men and then suddenly she was alone. She felt eyes on her from all over the room, but none of the stares burned as badly as the stare she received from the blond man smirking cockily at her. He approached then, and her heart stopped. This was all too soon. She didn't want to meet him yet. Not here in front of all these people. No, she wanted it to be in private so that she could tell him just exactly what she thought of him. She cast a gaze over her shoulder to see her father watching with a firm scowl. And then she felt a hand scooping up her own and lips being pressed against her glove. She whipped her head around, eyes intent on the man kneeling before her, but it was not who she expected. "D-demyx!"

Demyx smiled brightly up at the beautiful blonde woman before him. "May I have this dance, Miss Larxene?"

Larxene let out a heavy sigh of relief and nodded curtly. "Yes you may, Mister Demyx."

Demyx stood swiftly and clasped Larxene's right hand in his left and placed his free hand about her waist. He waited for her to place her left hand on his shoulder before he lead her in a waltz around the room. "You look lovely this evening Miss Larxene. I barely recognized you, for all that lip and cheek rouge."

"Well, it was _not_ my choice to say the least. But you know my father. If I didn't just doll myself right up he'd take it as a personal attack on his hard efforts." Larxene cringed inwardly as she caught a glare from her father but shrugged it away. She was sure to get a good reaming from him for not declining Demyx's invite to dance in favor of her betrothed, but she would worry about that later. Instead she turned her gaze back to Demyx and forced a smile. "I should say, you look rather dashing yourself."

Demyx chuckled. "When did you learn to speak so eloquently? The last time we spoke, you sounded much more…" He cocked his head to the side in thought. "Oh, what's the word? Crude? Yes, crude."

Larxene shrugged as well as she could while they danced. "Well, I've matured a lot since then."

Demyx snickered and shook his head. "It was only last week that we spoke. Don't you remember? You haven't matured much in that time."

"You'd be surprised how swiftly a young woman can mature." Larxene cast Demyx a wink before pulling herself closer to him in their dance, pressing her breasts against his chest as she did so. "Tell me, would it be too terribly rude of me to request you neglect the rest of these lovely young women in favor of being my escort this evening?"

Demyx blushed lightly and managed a small laugh. "Why, Miss Larxene, if I didn't know any better I'd say you're trying to use your sexuality and my none too secret affections for you to goad me into letting you use me for whatever purpose you believe I could serve you."

Larxene growled low in her throat and leaned closer to Demyx so that she could speak quietly. "Is it working?"

Demyx smiled. "What's the problem, darling?"

Larxene scoffed as Demyx spun her around. "You see that man over there talking with my father?"

Demyx let his gaze fall upon Vexen and the blond man at his side. He furrowed his brow in curiosity before turning his attention back to Larxene. "I already don't like him. What about him?"

"My father expects me to let him escort me tonight. He wants us to marry." Larxene tried her hardest to keep from making a face. Many eyes were on her, after all. "I'll assume your sentiments about that are the same as mine. And if that's the case then I need you to keep me dancing all night."

Demyx smiled down at Larxene. "My love, I thought you'd never ask."

"Don't abuse this Demyx." Larxene looked up at him firmly. "You're doing me a favor, and I won't forget it. But if you take it too far I'll be certain you live to regret it."

Demyx sighed and shrugged with a bright smile. "Larxene, when are you going to just drop your walls and admit that you have feelings for me?"

"When you stop acting like such a pompous ass." Larxene looked away from Demyx and grumbled. "Just keep me close without making a big deal out of it."

"As you wish, darling. Just don't be surprised if I happen to forget this is only an act and end up kissing you." Demyx said with a wink.

"You try it and you die. Do you understand?" Larxene huffed and let Demyx lead her around the ball room. Truth be told, she was actually very fond of Demyx. They'd been playmates in their younger years although he was two years her senior. Still, they'd formed a bond that stayed with them even when they were shipped off to entirely different states for boarding school. As they grew, Demyx had become more and more interested in his wealth however, and that was a trait Larxene found deplorable though she herself was guilty of it. He began to view himself as an elite member of society and the only woman he deemed worthy of him was Larxene herself. But in their teens when they would occasionally see each other again, Larxene did all in her power to push him away in his attempts to woo her. She knew they couldn't marry, not with her parent's blessing at least. So she kept him at arms length with rude remarks and acts of disinterest. Even now she found it hard to break these habits despite how dear he truly was to her. She wished inwardly that he was her betrothed rather than that British stranger. If it had been Demyx, well, she could live with that much.

"Your man is watching us like a hawk…" Demyx said with a grin as he whirled Larxene around the dance floor. "He seems very displeased."

"Then let him be displeased." Larxene replied. She pulled herself closer against Demyx and then threw her head back in a delicate mock of laughter. "Oh my, you're really too much!"

Demyx looked down at Larxene curiously. "Too much?"

"I'm pretending you're charming and witty." Larxene repeated the laugh and leaned even closer to Demyx. "Just go with it."

"Pretending?" Demyx cocked an eyebrow at Larxene. "You know, you're awfully ungrateful for someone who needs my help. I've got half a mind to just walk away from you right now, but the gentleman in me won't allow it."

"The jealous monster in you won't allow it either." Larxene smirked. "As soon as you walk away, my suitor will be at my side and you'll lose this golden opportunity to woo me."

"Don't toy with me Larxene, you and I both know you'll never surrender your heart to me." Demyx shrugged as the music came to end and they bowed to one another. "I've come to terms with that much. Come…" He held out his arm to her and smiled. "Shall we get some refreshments?"

"I suppose." Larxene took Demyx's arm and started off with him but stopped abruptly when she saw that horrible blond British man standing in their way. She began to turn away but he was approaching too rapidly to make an escape. She cringed and closed her eyes, trying hard to will him away, but then he spoke.

"Bonjour, mademoiselle." Luxord said with a wide grin. He bowed to Larxene before casting the man beside her a dangerous glare. He then turned his eyes back to Larxene and smiled. "Might I have this dance?"

Larxene looked from Luxord to Demyx and back again, forcing a smile. "I already have an escort, thank you. Please excuse us."

"Don't tell me you don't recognize me, dear. I'm your betrothed!" Luxord straightened from the bow and rooted himself in between Demyx and Larxene, leading the young woman away. Once they were out of ear shot of anyone he spoke quietly through a clenched smile. "Your father is furious with you. I suggest you don't try to pull away from me or make a scene. Also, your father told me you knew full well that I would be your escort this evening so why is it I had to fetch you away from that riff raff?"

"Who the hell do you think you're talking to?" Larxene glared at Luxord as he forced her into closed position and began waltzing her around the room. "Do you need to be reminded you're in _my_ home? I will not have you speak to me like that!"

"Funny." Luxord looked down at the blonde woman and smirked. "Here I thought this was your _father's_ house and you were _his_ daughter. And as his daughter, I believed that you did what you were told to do. Forgive me, apparently I was mistaken."

Larxene gasped and pulled away from Luxord but he quickly pulled her back against him. "Unhand me, you filthy Brit."

"Such course words." Luxord clicked his tongue and kept his gaze on the woman he was forcing to dance. Their voices were low, but body language enough had many eyes watching them intently. "Is that any way to speak to your future husband? Don't be unpleasant, dear. We're starting to garner an audience."

"Good." Larxene stared furiously at him, ready to tear him limb from limb. "All the more eyes to watch when I slap you, you arrogant son of a bitch."

Luxord growled and shifted his hand to grasp tightly onto Larxene's wrist but he quickly remembered where they were and released his grip. He pulled her close and pressed his mouth against her ear. "You would do well to mind your tongue, especially in matters where my mother is concerned. Were we not in this place, and were you already my wife, I would not have hesitated to teach you a bitter lesson. Do not make that mistake again. Now, join me on the piazza. Your father is waiting for us there."

Larxene scowled and let the man lead her to the large veranda through two tall double doors. Her father was waiting against the railing and she felt all her courage flood her. Under normal circumstances she never feared to defy her father or even stand up to him verbally, but for some reason all her venom had fleeted. The sound of the ball became muffled as Luxord closed the doors behind them. She felt like a trapped animal. "You wanted to see me?"

Vexen turned his gaze to his daughter and pulled out a flask, taking a quick swig before tucking it back into his jacket pocket. "What the _hell_ was that all about Larxene?"

Larxene sighed. She knew arguing and fighting with her father would get her nowhere at this point so she decided to play another role that she only ever had to use when her father was completely fed up with her. She put her hands behind her back and batted her eyelashes at Vexen. "What was what about daddy?"

"Don't _daddy_ me. You know damn well what I mean Larxene and I am appalled at your actions." Vexen crossed his arms and stared his daughter down. "I did not have to throw this ball for you, yet I did. And how do you repay me? By waltzing away with Demyx when you knew damn well that…"

"But daddy!" Larxene pouted and rocked her upper torso back and forth to entice sympathy. She had this role down pat. "I wanted this to at least _seem_ like it was a real débutante ball! Ideally, I should be waltzing with all the suitors. Not just the one you _chose_ for me. I was just trying to help you save face."

"Drop the act Larxene." Vexen stepped closer to his daughter and sighed. "You are humiliating me and you are disgracing your betrothed. I suggest you adjust your attitude swiftly."

Larxene growled and crossed her arms. "You can't control me! I'm a grown woman now and even though I was thinking I could just go along with this whole arrangement, I'm starting to realize I was out of my mind! I won't agree to this!"

Vexen grit his teeth and turned his attention to Luxord. "Would you please excuse us? I need to have a word with my daughter, privately." He waited calmly as the blond man bowed and excused himself before turning a wild gaze on Larxene. "Are you out of your mind!? This is our one chance at retaining the wealth that we are swiftly losing!"

"I don't see why it has to be _him_! He's deplorable, father! And he isn't the only wealthy suitor, you know! There are at least ten in there right now expecting to dance with me!" Larxene crossed her arms and huffed loudly. "I could just as easily marry Demyx. His family is wealthier than ours, and at least I know a bit about him!"

"You _can't_ marry anyone within our social circle." Vexen sighed heavily and rubbed his temples. "Your mother would all but die if anyone found out about our current financial problems."

Larxene scoffed. "Serves her right! She's the one that got us into this mess in the first place, throwing all our money away into those damned prohibition groups! And now we've got no livelihood since you can't export alcohol. So who's fault is that!? Honestly I think if all of New Orleans found out about our little situation it would be just what she deserves for being such a spiteful bitch!"

Vexen mulled the thought over quietly before nodding. "Hmm… I have to agree. But there is still _my_ reputation to think of. I know you don't care about that either. But think of your own. What will people say? They'll accuse you of all sorts of horrid things. You don't want your own image soiled, do you?" He reached into his jacket and pulled out his flask once more, taking a swig before handing it to his daughter. "Our only option is for you to marry outside of the country. Luxord's family will happily provide us with money, should we ask, and nobody else has to know."

Larxene put the flask to her lips and sucked down a good mouthful of moonshine before handing the flask back to her father. "I still despise the idea, but I suppose we have little other choice at the moment." She sighed and rolled her eyes, crossing her arms once again. "Alright, I'll comply. For now. But I still hate you for putting me through this."


	2. Going Down Like the Titanic

I'm kinda sad. Nobody seems to have read this story yet (Braco aside) and I've got a feeling that not a lot of people will.

What, is it not GAY ENOUGH FOR YOU PEOPLE!?

XD Just kidding. I didn't plan on a big audience for this story. LuxLar is sadly not a popular pairing and although I hope to change that, I'm sure I'll have maybe three readers, five readers tops.

Anyhow, updating today cause I have a busy weekend ahead. Baby shower and house/dog sitting on Saturday and then a day trip to good old Disneyland on Sunday. (Yes, we've clarified that I'm a d-fag.)

Anyway, a bit more about this story, it isn't going to get too terribly exciting until at least a few more chapters. Sorry. And as for the actual LuxLar, well, you can expect that to take a bit longer.

And as for the mention of LarDem, ha ha! Don't expect it to go away soon. Or, well, AT ALL. I mean, YES this is a LuxLar story but that just means it is a story about them meeting, falling in love and "getting jiggy wit it." That is all that means. There may or may not be mentions of other couples and the like, but it is still firstly and foremost a LuxLar and anything is possible.

Oh, also! I should mention that there will be a few Cajun French terms slung around. This DOES take place in New Orleans afterall. (For now… Ku ku ku…) So please keep that in mind and I'm sorry if it bugs you. It won't be too terribly often.

I think that's all. Enjoy!

* * *

_March 06, 1922_

_Funny, I find myself writing in here again though it does little to help calm me. Let me tell you diary, the evening of that damned cotillion was a nightmare. I've spent the past couple of days in a constant drunken stupor, trying to forget. I don't think my father has realized I've raided his private stash yet, Lord save me when he does. After that atrocious night the only thing on my mind has been that bastard of a suitor of mine._

_What's more is that I realize I truly have no choice but to marry him. Should the truth come out about my family's misfortune, well, let's just say that nobody can ever know the truth. There have been families in the past that have fallen from grace, and it was never a very pleasant situation. Black lists and constant mockery…_

_No, not for me. For my parents? Fine. But not me. And this means keeping our financial troubles private from anyone within the US, especially here in Louisiana. I guess I am supposed to believe my suitor's family will just hand over cash without so much as a fuss. It is honestly hard to swallow, but my father believes this so it is the only thing driving me to agree with this arrangement. _

_And then there's Demyx. Good Lord, I've never met a man so persistent in my life! Endearing though it is, I still find it hard to treat him as anything more than an annoyance. That has always been our relationship and he's starting to see through it. Or maybe he always has._

_All I knew today was that I had to get out of this house. I had to talk to somebody…_

_--_

"It is so good to see you out and about Larxene!" Demyx said as he approached the blonde woman that was weaving her way through the crowd of people. "Although, I wouldn't normally expect to see you in this area. What are you doing in Vieux Carré?"

Larxene didn't slow her pace as Demyx rushed across the street to greet her. To be honest and say that she had come to the French Quarter in hopes of finding him would be too bold, so instead she lied. "I _had_ to get out of that hell hole I call home. Father and Mother are driving me nearly insane and that _man_ is beginning to infuriate me. It feels like every room I walk into, he's already sitting there waiting for me." Well, at least that much was true. "So I've come to get away, maybe find a restaurant in this little slum of a neighborhood you seem to adore so much."

"Well, there's a great one on Bourbon Street! Its called Galatoire's. Have you ever had Creole food?" Demyx presented an arm to Larxene. "I'll accompany you."

"Oh, what a gentleman." Larxene said sarcastically before taking Demyx's arm. She let him lead her to this restaurant and once they were inside and seated she let out a hefty sigh and groaned. "Honestly, I can't take this anymore. I'm going out of my mind."

Demyx smiled widely. He had a sneaking suspicion that the woman had come here in search of someone to vent to. That meant him. She admittedly had no friends, outside of himself and her servant girl, and either one of them were scarcely gossip companions. Still, he was as close to a friend as she could get so he would listen happily to her ailments and even help where he could. "Your father is still determined that you marry that man?"

"Yes!" Larxene gripped the edge of the table they sat at, practically fuming from the ears. "And I'm going nearly insane. He and _Mother_ are already making arrangements for the damned wedding with a wretched wedding planner and I can't take it!"

Demyx smiled and motioned the waiter over. When the man approached he handed him a five dollar bill. "Two iced teas, and see to it that you make the young woman's _strong_. _Very, very_ _strong_."

Larxene smiled gratefully at Demyx. "You always did know just how to treat a lady."

"Well…" Demyx shrugged. "I know nothing helps calm _your_ nerves like a good hard drink. So tell me, what else can I do for you darling?"

Larxene sighed and shook her head. "Unless you can convince my father that I don't need to marry that _creature_ then I suppose there's nothing that you can do."

"Well, how lucky for you then, because I happen to have a solution." Demyx leaned forward on the table between them and smiled brightly. "You'll just have to marry me instead."

Larxene scoffed and shook her head in annoyance. "Now is _not_ the time for jokes Demyx. Don't make light of my situation!"

"I'm being entirely serious. Its high time you stopped playing this game of cat and mouse with me. I can't chase you forever." Demyx reached across the table and captured Larxene's hand in his own, bringing it to his lips. "Tell your father you choose to marry me instead. We'll honeymoon in Europe. It'll be lovely."

Larxene opened her mouth to protest but was stopped when their waiter returned with two iced teas, the smell of alcohol practically wafting off of hers as he sat it before her. She grabbed the glass in her hand and began to chug it quickly. The warm burn of the fluid hitting her stomach helped to calm her nerves, if only slightly. She looked away from Demyx and tugged her hand from his. "Look, Demyx, I can't…"

"You don't like the idea of Europe?" Demyx smiled and leaned on his elbows to look at Larxene. "Fine, I'll buy a yacht and we'll sail the Caribbean. Or wherever you want to go. You name the place and I'll take you there. Just say you'll marry me."

"Its more than that Demyx!" Larxene crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair. "The whole plot is just a horrid idea!" Actually, the thought sounded wonderful. Being _anywhere_ but New Orleans sounded heavenly at this point and she'd jump the next ship out in a heartbeat. However, things had always been complicated where Demyx was concerned and she preferred to keep things as simple as possible. "Am I to escape marrying one man I don't love by marrying yet another?"

"Ah, you break my heart." Demyx pulled his hands against his chest and sighed. "Malignity, thy name is woman."

"Oh stop it. You'll be over it in a few minutes and ready to pursue me again." Larxene sucked down the rest of her tea and sighed. "You know, I'm not really hungry. I could go for another drink though."

"Sorry, they have a policy. One per customer during the day time. You know, so as not to alert any authorities." Demyx smiled and reached across the table to caress Larxene's hand. "If you'd like to come back home with me though, we could always…"

"See? What did I just say? You're already over it." Larxene stood and grabbed up her pocketbook. "One would think that you'd learn to give up by now."

Demyx stood and covered Larxene's hand with his own as she began fishing around in her pocketbook for money. "A gentleman never lets a lady pay for a drink. And I apologize, I'll stop being so forward if that's really what you want."

"It would be helpful given the current situation, yes." Larxene scowled at Demyx as he left money on the table and offered her an arm. "I think it would be best if I just returned home. And I _don't_ need an escort."

"Back into that nightmare awaiting you? Come now, I apologized. I won't behave that way anymore." Demyx wiggled his arm insistently. "Besides, I've been longing to introduce you to Jazz."

Larxene cocked an eyebrow. Jazz, the name sounded familiar. Demyx mentioned it often whenever he would call upon her but she only ever half listened to him when he came over buzzing with excitement about anything. "Who is Jazz, again?"

Demyx laughed and shook his head. "Not who. What. Its music! And it is amazing Larxene! You haven't heard anything until you've heard the heart and soul that is Jazz music!"

Larxene curled her nose. "I'll pass. I'm not a music fan."

"Well, perhaps some other time." Demyx shrugged. "Would you like an escort home?"

"No. The car is waiting for me. Thank you for the tea." Larxene turned away from Demyx and started toward the exit of the restaurant but paused. Maybe it was the alcohol coursing through her veins or the complete disarray her life was in that had her brain entirely frazzled, but a prodding urge got the better of her. She whirled back around and marched over to Demyx, slapping her lips to his cheek. As quickly as she had planted the kiss she pulled away. "And thank you for listening to me rant, and for everything else."

--

_I honestly don't know what came over me. Despite all my better judgment I just couldn't help myself in the end. If he ever had any doubts before, they are all out the window now, and that is terrible. Because despite everything, he is still a grand annoyance in my life. It just so happens that right now he is the smallest of those grand annoyances. And damn him for being so remarkably handsome and charming. Damn him for it until the end of his days!_

_But right now, the little occurrence today is the least thing to concern myself with. Something worse occurred when I arrived home…_

_--_

Larxene sighed in irritation as she stepped into the entryway of her home and met with her father's stern gaze. She rolled her eyes and pulled her coat off her shoulders. "What is it now?"

Vexen crossed his arms and stared hard at Larxene. "Have fun out and about while your mother and I toiled over wedding plans?"

"Don't try acting like you were at all interested. I know Mother took the reigns when it came to talking to the wedding planner and you just sat there trying to sneak whiskey into whatever drink you had while nobody was looking." Larxene countered her father's stance with one as equally determined and scoffed. "So, what terribly important but oh so minute details did I miss while I was out?"

"Everything has changed." Vexen stepped closer to his daughter and sighed. "Firstly, we agreed it would not be beneficial to have an extravagant wedding. Knowing full well how that fool boy Demyx feels about you, we realized it would be in our best interests to keep it small and private. Especially after that fiasco of a cotillion that you had, nobody is going to believe you married Luxord for love. Thusly, there will be no elaborate gown, no mile high wedding cake, no large reception. Just a marriage legally binding you to your husband."

Larxene rolled her eyes. "And that is a bad thing? Honestly it is just one big relief to me. I never wanted all of that anyhow."

"Oh, and there _is _one more thing…" Vexen reached his hand into his vest pocket and pulled out the flask he knew his daughter would be needing after the next bit of information. "The wedding is no longer six weeks away. It is in six days, and I hope you are prepared."

Larxene paled and stared at her father dumbfounded. She reached out and snatched the flask from his hand and took a big gulp of the corn whiskey before throwing a glare right to him. "I hate you for putting me through this!"


	3. How Did We Arrive at This Point?

I am posting TWO chapters today! TWO!

Man, life's been rough lately. We just lost three siblings in the daycare because their parents couldn't afford to stay but don't qualify for financial aid either (good old California) and two other children have been out with strep-throat so I haven't really worked a whole lot this week. In a way, I guess that's a good thing since it has given me some much needed vacation time (albeit unpaid vacation time) so I've been doing a TON of writing this week.

Thusly, you get two chapters today to speed things along.

Yeah, so far Luxord has kinda not been a real major character. That will change, I promise! In fact, you'll get to see a lot more of him in this chapter.

Things change a bit in this chapter and the next as far as writing style. After the second half of the journal entry in this chapter it won't be a flash back. It'll be more like a "current event." The next chapter won't have a journal entry at all and will be more like what you're used to reading from me if you've read my previous fics. After that it'll jump back to journal entries again. Hopefully it isn't too hard to follow. Please let me know if it is! I'll change it, I swear.

Anyhow, enjoy!

* * *

_March 12, 1922_

_Well, diary. It is all done and over with now. My life, that is. Everything is in ruins. Shambles. Absolute destruction. Damn it, I need a drink._

_The wedding was today, I don't even want to think back on it for fear I might actually remember it. It was miserable. I was miserable. A small wedding in a huge cathedral on a Sunday evening is not how I imagined my wedding day at all. Of course, the groom wasn't ever how I pictured him either. He seemed as drunk as I was. Both of us stumbling through our wretched vows. I wish it had been at the courthouse instead, but Mother insisted it be at the church. Damned Catholics and damn their ways. No divorce? No way out of this?_

_I definitely need a drink._

_What I'm thinking of most now isn't the wedding though. Demyx came to call upon me yesterday. It was an absolute fiasco. I would think he'd be smart enough to stay away from me, but then again, after that kiss I gave him on his cheek I should have really expected to see him sooner than I actually did. Of course he did the usual when he came, brought flowers and smuggled me in some alcohol. It was very thoughtful, the alcohol part I mean. But the encounter did not go smoothly. Nothing ever seems to these past few days…_

--

"So…" Demyx smiled as he sat across the table from Larxene sipping on a tall glass of iced tea. "How have you been these past few days? Still going out of your mind?"

Larxene snorted and rolled her eyes. "I think I'm completely out of it by now."

"Well, I agreed that I wouldn't continue to pressure you. But, my offer still stands if you want to take it." Demyx took a sip of his tea and grinned. "I still expect you to say no right now. Just give it some thought. There's no rush, after all."

Larxene swallowed a gulp of her tea hard and cringed. "A-actually Demyx…"

"My, my. Why didn't you tell me we had a guest, dear?" Luxord said as he stepped onto the veranda and over to the table where his betrothed sat. He pulled a chair close to her and took a seat, eyes never leaving the other man for a second. "Who calls upon my fiancée? I don't believe we've formally met."

Demyx smiled at Luxord and crossed his legs. "Surely you recognize me, gentle sir. I'm Larxene's true love."

"_Dear Lord."_ Larxene covered her face with her hand and let out a long sigh. Of all the ways to introduce himself, he had to go that far? She wanted to reach across the table and throttle him but Luxord scooping up her hand in his own caused all thought to flee her.

"Her true love?" Luxord returned the boy's mischievous smile with an equally devious one as he brought Larxene's gloved hand to his lips. "Surely you are mistaken my friend. How could it be then, that she is marrying me tomorrow evening?"

Demyx's face fell and he looked to Larxene feeling somewhat hurt. "You're getting married _tomorrow night_?"

Luxord grinned widely. "Don't be offended that she didn't tell you, mate. We were only informing our _nearest and dearest_ loved ones. I suppose you didn't quite make the cut."

"You son of a bitch!" Demyx jumped to his feet and slammed his hands on the table between them. "You know nothing!"

Luxord grit his teeth and lurched forward, gripping the lapels of Demyx's coat. "Mind your tongue boy, or you'll quickly find it cut out of your mouth!"

Demyx smirked at the blond man, just happy that he'd enticed such a reaction from him. "Ha! You're about as terrifying as a small child!" He pried the man's hands off of his jacket and turned his eyes to Larxene. "Please tell me this is a joke. You're not getting married."

Larxene looked away from Demyx, the discomfort of the situation quickly overwhelming her. "I need a drink."

"Larxene!" Demyx knelt on the ground beside her chair and grasped her hand tightly. "Where!? Tell me. Please."

Larxene bit her bottom lip and looked at Demyx sadly. The heartbreak in his eyes was actually getting to her when most times she was able to just coldly shrug it off. She wanted to tell him. She knew that if he showed up, he'd protest and shout to the high heavens. But unfortunately this was what she'd agreed to. She'd decided that she would marry this horrid British man. Not for love, but for money. After all, who needed love? Not her. Love was ridiculous but money was everything and she was admittedly shallow and selfish. Besides, it wasn't as though she actually felt anything for Demyx beyond their strange friendship-like bond. He was a convenient (and occasionally inconvenient) associate of hers that had long expired his purpose as a playmate. "Demyx, just let it go. It isn't as though things would have worked out between us. We're too different now, and besides… I was promised to this man, horrid as he may be." Larxene glared up at Luxord before turning her eyes back to her friend. "Go home."

Demyx let out a heavy sigh and stood slowly. "As you wish." He brought the gloved hand he still clung to gently against his lips and smiled, noticing there was not even a ring on her finger. She did not love this man and he did not love her back. Perhaps there was still hope. "I would have at least bought you a ring worthy of your beauty."

Luxord scowled as he watched the younger man drop Larxene's hand and slowly retreat. After the boy was a significant distance away he growled and began to tug at the ring he wore on his pinky finger. It slipped off after a few seconds of pulling and he yanked Larxene's left hand into reach. He slid the circlet onto her ring finger and stared hard at it. "This is my mother's. Do not misplace it."

Larxene stared in awe up at Luxord before turning her eyes down to the ring. It was quite a dated piece, but still beautiful regardless. She looked away from him and tugged her hand out of his grasp. "Well if it is so damn precious why don't you keep it in a box?"

"You venomous bitch. Be grateful! You hardly deserve that much for the way you treat me and our engagement." Luxord crossed his arms and glared at her. "Should anything happen to that, I'll…"

"I need a drink." Larxene stood and brushed past her fiancé, grabbing up the jar of moonshine that Demyx had smuggled in for her. She made her way up to her room without a word to her mother or father and plopped down on her bed.

--

_If I didn't know any better, I'd say that Luxord is jealous of Demyx. Incredibly jealous in fact. But I know this can't be the case. You have to actually feel something for a person before you can be jealous of another person's interactions with them. The most I can figure is that he has some perverse sense of ownership of me in his mind and he acts off of it._

_I mean, I suppose I don't know much about him. I haven't taken the time to get to know him. I don't want to. All I have to go off of are the tiny glimpses of personality I see from him when Demyx is around._

_And the ring. Why did he give me his mother's ring? She's sure to be disappointed when she finds out. Should I give it back? I don't know what he was trying to prove by giving it to me in the first place. Was it really because of what Demyx said? If he's going to let everything that lunatic says get under his skin then he'll have a rough go of it around here. He…_

--

"Are you writing about _me_?" Luxord furrowed his brow and downed the last bit of whiskey in his glass before snatching up the book Larxene had been writing in at her vanity.

Larxene growled and reached for the book that Luxord had snatched out of her grasp. "Give that back! Its private, you ass hole!"

Luxord snickered and held the book high above the woman's head. "Not private anymore. You are my wife now and I saw my name."

"You drunk prick! Just how long were you standing in my room!?" Larxene leapt up in an attempt to grab the diary but failed. "What I wrote in there is none of your business!"

Luxord turned away from Larxene and held the book closer to his face to read in the dim light. _"If I didn't know any better, I'd say Luxord is jealous of Demyx. Incredibly jealous in fact. But I know this can't be the case…"_ Luxord turned his gaze to Larxene and grinned. "How cute."

"Stop it!" Larxene was sure her face was red now, both from embarrassment and rage. She charged at Luxord and grabbed the book from his hand, unfortunately toppling to the floor on top of him. She stared down at him quietly a moment and clutched her diary close to her chest. The man lay below her wincing and rubbing the back of his head. "Are you hurt?"

Luxord continued to rub the growing knot on his head where his skull had collided with the hardwood floor. "A bit."

"Good! Serves you right!" Larxene huffed and stood quickly to walk away but before she could get further than a foot away she felt a hand on her ankle tugging her back down. Before she knew what was happening, Luxord was looming over her with a devilish grin, the smell of whiskey strong on his breath. "Uhg, get off of me!"

"Don't be so cold, dear. This is our wedding night." Luxord smiled and rested a hand on his beautiful wife's face. "Come now, let's consummate our marriage." He chuckled at the feral growl the young woman let out knowing full well how badly he was aggravating her. That was his intention, after all. His earlier intentions had merely been to come talk business with the young woman seeing as how neither one of them was all too pleased with their arrangement. But upon seeing his name in her diary and the reaction he'd received from snatching it, he couldn't fight his urge to irritate her more. He cooed a string of meaningless words against her ear and stroked her cheek which only served to infuriate her more. "Let's kiss."

"No! I despise you!" Larxene pushed as hard as she could away from Luxord but it was no use. She was regretfully very weak, not to mention quite drunk herself. "If you don't get off of me, I swear I'll kill you!"

Luxord snickered and finally relented, letting the girl go. "Don't worry dear. It was only a joke." He stood slowly and walked toward the door. "You can't think I _actually_ find you sexually appealing, can you?"

Larxene watched with a glare as Luxord exited the room. As soon as he closed the door she bolted up and rushed back to her vanity, taking up her pen and forcing it onto the page.

--

_He… He is as good as dead._


	4. Something Happened

Well, like I said previously, this chapter has no journal entry.

This chapter… Ah, I swear to you, despite that this chapter says otherwise, this IS a LuxLar story! I PROMISE!

There is some Cajun French in here. Not much. It is a bit different from regular French but it all roughly translates to the same thing anyhow.

Bah, I suppose I can translate for you real quick:

_si vous plaît_ - please  
_mon chéri_ - my darling

Other than that, enjoy. I promise the plot will pick up soon and the LuxLar is soon to follow!

* * *

Larxene awoke to the sound of Naminé entering her room with a tray of food. As usual, she wasn't very hungry. She never was the morning after a drinking binge. "Naminé, please tell me you've come with good news. Tell me you've poisoned my husband's breakfast."

Naminé laughed softly and shook her head. "No, Miss Larxene. I haven't."

Larxene sat up and grumbled as the young girl placed the tray over her lap. "Damn it all, you're fired then."

Naminé giggled and shrugged. This wasn't the first time Larxene had "fired" her and it wouldn't be the last. The woman was always making idle threats at her. It was something she'd grown used to in the past year she'd worked at the mansion. Now it seemed like it just wouldn't be a day without Larxene threatening her job position. She handed the newspaper to Larxene and smiled kindly. "Well, you made front page news."

Larxene groaned and didn't bother to open the rolled up newspaper. She knew it was the announcement of her wedding. "Great, something for the whole city to see. How humiliating."

"Well, drink your juice." Naminé grabbed the fresh squeezed orange juice off the tray and handed it to Larxene. "I added a little something extra to it. I figured you'd be needing it."

Larxene grabbed the glass and sniffed, the smell of alcohol permeating her senses. "Ah, you're an angel Naminé. You're hired again."

"Thank you Miss Larxene." Naminé bowed quickly. "If you need anything else, just ring."

Larxene nodded curtly and waved the young girl away. She downed the orange juice quickly and climbed out of bed. Too much was on her mind today to just be lazing about it bed. She hurried through a bath and didn't bother with hair or makeup. She usually never did anyhow. She slipped on a dress that wouldn't garner too much attention and snuck out of the house. In no time at all she was back in the French Quarter, eyes intent on finding Demyx. She decided to ask around, surely somebody would recognize the wealthy white man that frequented this bohemian area of the city. She was directed to a door on Bourbon Street that lead seemingly nowhere. When she knocked, she was lead inside quickly and quietly by a large black man. She followed him down a long dark hall to a wide open room where the cigarette smoke was thick and the smell of booze was even thicker. The music in the room was subtle and pleasing but unlike anything she'd ever heard. And then her eyes fell on Demyx. He was sitting in the far corner of the room hunched over a drink. She made her way over to him and sat down in the chair beside him. "Something bothering you, little boy?"

Demyx let out a heavy sigh and stared down into his whiskey. "Not now miss, I'm not in the mood."

Larxene snickered and placed a gloved finger under Demyx's chin, lifting his gaze to meet hers. "Not in the mood to talk to me? Now that is a _first_."

"Larxene!" Demyx looked to the girl in awe. "Wh-what are you doing here!?"

Larxene shrugged and grinned widely. "Just going out of my mind back at home. I needed to get out and about again."

Demyx smiled softly. "I'm so glad to see you. After the other day, I thought…" He sighed and shook his head. "Never mind. So, how did you find me?"

Larxene scoffed. "Oh please. You're the only wealthy white man that loves to slum it down here everyday for the sake of music and atmosphere. It wasn't too hard."

Demyx laughed and slid his hand over Larxene's and up her arm. "So you came here looking for me, you admit it."

Larxene looked away from her friend and shrugged. "I might have had something like that in mind. Don't get too excited. It isn't like I had anywhere else to go."

"Don't be cold, Larxene." Demyx let his hand slide up her arm to her face. "It is way too late to be playing this stupid run around game. You're married now and I…" He leaned closer to her and thumbed over her bottom lip gently. "If I had just stopped playing games and let you know how absolutely serious I was about marrying you then maybe…"

Larxene pulled Demyx's hand off her face and shook her head. "You reek of liquor."

"I _should_." Demyx shrugged and downed the remaining whiskey in his glass. "I rented a hotel room upstairs so I could just have a couple of days to drink myself into a stupor without my family having to worry. They think I'm vacationing in New York."

Larxene rolled her eyes and pulled the glass from Demyx's hand as he tried to milk it for anything possibly left. "Don't you think this is all a bit dramatic?"

"I don't judge you when you drown your stress in liquor." Demyx snatched the glass back and motioned to a waitress. "One more drink, si vous plaît, mon chéri!"

"No, he's had enough. Thank you." Larxene smiled to the young black waitress who nodded in acknowledgment. "Come on Demyx, I'll take you back to your room."

Demyx sighed. "Why'd you do it Lar? Why did you marry that son of a bitch?"

"End of discussion Demyx." Larxene stood slowly and pulled Demyx up with her. She was directed by the waitress to a set of stairs likely leading to the upstairs hotel. She started up, practically dragging Demyx as he complained that he wanted to stay behind and drink. Once they reached the top of the stairs she took note of the filthy hall of hotel doors. "Which one are you?"

Demyx grumbled and started toward his door. "I'm not _that_ drunk Larxene. I can take care of myself." He turned his key in the lock and stepped inside. "Alright, I'm here. Now kindly leave so I can go back downstairs."

Larxene planted her hands on her hips and stepped into the room. "You know, for somebody on a high horse about his wealth and power, you sure do slum it in some questionable places."

Demyx shrugged. "Well, I like to mix things up. What can I say?"

"Come on." Larxene grabbed Demyx's arm and yanked him toward the bed. "You need to sleep this off, and when you wake up you need to go back home and stop dramatizing this."

Demyx looked up at the blonde as she slung him down on the bed. "Did you have sex with him?"

Larxene's face paled and then flushed. "What!?"

"The answer is as simple as the question." Demyx reached out and placed his hands on Larxene's hips. "Did you sleep with him?"

Larxene scoffed and pulled away from Demyx, only for him to yank her back against him. "You're drunker than you let on."

"I'm not _that_ drunk." Demyx stood and pulled Larxene's body close against his, swaying slowly back and forth to a distant rhythm. "You know why I chose this hotel? Its because if you listen hard enough, you can hear the jazz seeping through the floorboards. Soft and sensual sometimes, like it is now." He scooped her face into his hands and brought it nearer to his own. "Larxene, I think you know how I feel about you. And I think that deep down you feel the same. Maybe you married that bastard, and maybe there's more to it than you really want me to know. But maybe…" He smiled softly and pressed his lips to her cheek. "Maybe I don't care. I want you. I _need _you Larxene. And you're not leaving here until I get some form of closure."

Larxene stared up at Demyx with wide eyes. Her heart was pounding a million miles a minute. What could she really do? She'd backed herself into a corner. A very, very interesting corner. She had half a mind to slap Demyx across the face but she really didn't want to. And then he pulled her into a kiss and she didn't fight it. Rather, she forced him backward onto the bed and straddled him, kissing him feverishly.


	5. Lets Just Play the Hand We've Been Dealt

Alright… Here we get to see things start to blossom out. AND I'M EXCITED!

I LOVE this chapter so super much! I can't even begin to explain it.

I guess I don't have much to say today… Uhm, enjoy?

* * *

_March 14, 1922_

_Well, now I've gone and done it. Everything is a complete mess. I don't know what the hell compelled me to do so, but I've effectively complicated my life tenfold. Something occurred with Demyx, something rather humiliating to recount. Thinking about it simply makes me shiver. And yet, I enjoyed it. That is what I hate the most._

_He was so gentle, so kind. Damn him. It can only be just that once. I can't let it happen again but I know he'll want it to. I might even want it to. Damn it, how can I even admit that?_

_Thankfully he fell asleep directly after. I don't think I would have been able to make my escape otherwise. And what if he would have wanted to talk? The thought is frightening._

_When I got home, all I wanted to do was drown myself in booze and go to sleep. Unfortunately I never get what I want…_

_--_

"Well, my dear. Don't you look like death warmed over?" Luxord grinned at Larxene as she entered the home. "Where've you been all day?"

Larxene scowled at Luxord as she hung up her coat. "Out."

"Quite obviously." Luxord closed the small distance between them and began examining her more closely. "You didn't tell me you were going out. Where did you go?"

"I wasn't aware I had to check in with you every time I wanted to do something." Larxene scoffed and brushed past Luxord but was stopped when he captured her wrist in his hand. She shot him a glare and growled. "Unhand me!"

"You reek of booze and it isn't coming from your mouth." Luxord tugged Larxene from the entryway, upstairs and into the room he'd been staying in. "What were you doing, bathing in it? Or is it _that boy_?"

Larxene's face paled before she huffed and tugged her wrist from her husband's grip. "What are you trying to imply!?"

"You know damn well!" Luxord hissed. He grabbed Larxene's arms and pulled her against him. "I am your husband now, and although you do not have to like me, you _will_ respect me. You will not humiliate me by…"

"I didn't! Now release me!" Larxene tugged away from Luxord but it proved futile. "I went to a speakeasy today, that's all. I probably reek of cigarette smoke as well but that doesn't mean a damn thing!" She grumbled as Luxord released her, letting her fly backward to land on the floor. Anger flooded her and she quickly stood to attack him. "How dare you get rough with me!"

Luxord crossed his arms. "Why would you have to go to a speakeasy? There are plenty of places around this mansion that your father has stashed alcohol, and I'm sure you know most of them."

Larxene countered his stance and stared hard at him. One thing she had learned was to always make eye contact. You could lie through your teeth but you better be damn sure you make eye contact or it doesn't matter how good of a liar you are. In a small way, she didn't want to lie. She wanted to admit she'd slept with Demyx and have Luxord leave in fury, but she knew she couldn't. So she would lie. "I still have my mother to worry about. She's the biggest prude in the world, and I can't just lounge around the house drunk all day. She'll know, and I'd rather just do it elsewhere. So I went to the speakeasy to relax but before I could even get a bit to my lips there was a panic, and I spilled alcohol all over myself. Turns out there were no authorities, but you can never be too careful."

Luxord stared at Larxene a moment before uncrossing his arms and placing his hands on his hips. "Suppose I believe you, what now?"

"What do you mean? There is nothing more to discuss! And I could care less if you believe me, it makes no difference. I know I'm not lying, and that's all that matters." Larxene started to exit the room but Luxord stepped in her way. "Let me pass!"

"We have more we need to discuss. Your father said that your mother will be leaving tomorrow to visit relatives in Georgia for the next couple of weeks and that he may be joining her. That means we will be here, alone." Luxord looked to his wife nervously. "This leaves me unsettled and we need to discuss what will be done."

Larxene furrowed her brow in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I have to be _here_! _Alone_! With _you_!" Luxord looked to Larxene before he began pacing in front of the door. "Your father and I get along. I can handle being around him, but just knowing _you're_ the only company I'll be having for the next few weeks…"

"To hell with you." Larxene planted her hands on her hips and smirked. "Who said I was going to keep you company anyhow? I have a life of my own and just because I married you, that doesn't mean I have to let it slow me down!"

"So what, you'll leave me to roam about while you run off to the devil knows where!?" Luxord shook his head. "Oh no, wherever you go, I go."

--

_My parents haven't even been gone for a full day, and already I spent a good portion of my morning listening to his feet pacing back and forth outside my room. I'm almost certain he even tried the door a few times but thankfully I had the foresight to lock it. Still, I couldn't stay in my room all day. My own personal stash of booze was running low and Naminé had the day off._

_I decided to brave it, if only for the sake of alcohol. But when I exited my room I saw no sign of him._

_I started down the stairs, silently praying he had just decided to go to sleep. It was then that I heard a rather unexpected sound._

_Laughter. Horrible laughter. The laughter of men…_

_--_

Larxene rounded the corner into the parlor, only for her heart to drop into her stomach. She was caught off guard by the sound of laughter coming from the room, especially that it was the laughter of two different people. When she stepped into the room, she was certainly not expecting what she saw. "Wh-what the hell?"

"Ah, lovely for you to join us, dear." Luxord smiled at Larxene from the table at which he sat. "We were just talking about you."

Larxene's face turned pale white. She could feel it. Her gaze flew from her husband to the man sitting across from him, hardly able to believe she'd heard laughter coming from the room only moments earlier. "D-demyx! What are you doing here!?"

Luxord looked from his wife to Demyx, who shrugged, and then back again. "He came to apologize for his atrocious behavior the other day. He explained that he was heavily intoxicated and only playing off an old school boy crush. He meant no harm, and we've been in here chattering about you ever since. Care to join us in a game of poker? I'll pour you a drink…"

Larxene steadied herself against the wall and looked desperately at an open bottle of her father's old Chardonnay. "M-maybe later. Would you actually excuse us? I need to speak to Demyx privately."

Luxord stood slowly. "Fair enough, I'll be back soon."

Larxene watched as Luxord exited the parlor and closed the doors behind him. She then turned her gaze to Demyx and hissed furiously. "What the _hell_ do you think you are doing here!?"

Demyx smiled softly and advanced on Larxene quickly. "Come now, how could you expect me to stay away after yesterday?" He cupped the blonde woman's face in his hands and pulled her into a passionate kiss. When he pulled away he nuzzled her neck and chuckled. "As for your husband, I told him what he wanted to hear. I know you don't love him Larxene, and he doesn't love you. So what harm is there in this? I'll be friendly to him, and he has no cause for suspicion. And whenever we get the chance…" He laughed lightly and pressed his lips to her ear. "Well, what do you think?"

Larxene snarled and pulled away from Demyx despite her body ready to give in to him. "I think that right now was a _highly_ inappropriate time for you to show up! You need to leave Demyx."

Demyx pouted and kissed a small trail along Larxene's cheek. "When can I see you again?"

"When I tell you, and not a moment sooner!" Larxene huffed as a blush crawled onto her face. She stamped her foot and pointed toward the door. "See yourself out Demyx. For my sake, please."

"Alright, I'll take my leave." Demyx leaned in and pressed his lips to Larxene's quickly before pulling away. "I'll be waiting to hear from you."

"Out!" Larxene stamped her foot again and refused to make eye contact. She listened impatiently as Demyx made his way out of the room and out of the mansion and once he was gone she rushed over to the table and grabbed up the bottle of Chardonnay, chugging it as fast as she could. By the time she reached the bottom of the bottle she heard footsteps entering the room.

"Where'd Demyx go?" Luxord looked around the room curiously as he tossed an apple into the air and caught it back in his hand.

Larxene spun around to face Luxord and forced a smile. "Well, I told him I didn't think it was appropriate for him to be here, given the way he acted the other day and your obvious concerns about him so I asked him to leave."

"Oh." Luxord looked at Larxene queerly before smiling. "Ah well, all water under the bridge now my dear. Care for an apple?"

Larxene curled her nose in disgust at the thought of the fruit and shook her head. "No, thank you. I should actually leave you be." She started past Luxord but stopped when he caught her hand in his. Not her wrist, but her hand. Caught off guard twice in one night…

"Won't you stay in here with me?" Luxord looked to the girl hopefully and smiled. "I'd love for you to play a game of poker with me."

Larxene looked at the table timidly before turning her eyes to her husband. "I actually don't know how to play."

"Well, come on. I'll teach you." Luxord pulled her slowly over to the table and pulled out a seat for her. When she took the seat he quickly sat beside her and grabbed up the cards on the table. He looked at the hand Demyx had been holding and chuckled. "Ah, good thing your friend left when he did. What a humiliating hand."

Larxene nodded, pretending she knew what he was talking about when he displayed the cards to her. She looked down at them, a ten, a pair of twos, a three and a four. She didn't see what was so wrong about it, but she supposed she'd be learning soon enough. "So, what all exactly where you two talking about? You said you were talking about me…"

Luxord cocked an eyebrow and grinned at Larxene. "Concerned?"

Larxene scoffed and crossed her arms. "Hardly. I'm just curious to know what bull crap lie that jerk is spreading about me now."

"I doubt this story is a lie. Actually, it sounds just like you. He was telling me a story about one time when you were five years old and he was seven, and you were climbing up in a pecan tree. He said you pushed him out and he fell and broke his arm and you wouldn't let him go home because you said he was acting like a baby." Luxord chuckled and grabbed up all the cards, beginning to shuffle them. "Somehow I can imagine that as though I were there myself."

Larxene snickered. "Yeah well, he was making fun of my dress so he deserved it, and it wasn't broken. It was only sprained. He dramatizes everything. He always has and he probably always will. Just take everything he says with a grain of salt."

Luxord smiled and leaned on the table, setting the cards down a good distance away. "You know, you're really pretty when you smile sincerely. _And_ when you're not being a viper."

Larxene snorted and rolled her eyes. "Yeah well, you're pretty charming when you're not manhandling me and scolding me like a child."

"I'm sorry…" Luxord reached out and grabbed Larxene's hand delicately. "Look, I know neither one of us wanted to be forced into this, and neither one of us has been helping with our attitudes. I think we should make the best of this, given what it is. And although I don't expect you to grow to love me, perhaps you can grow to respect me at the very least."

"Well, the fact that you accepted Demyx's apology at least shows me that you're not a _completely_ ridiculous jerk, so maybe there's hope yet." Larxene smiled and turned her attention back to the cards. "Anyhow, how do we play?"

"Ah, yes. The very most basic version of poker." Luxord pulled his hand away from Larxene's and grabbed up the cards. "You'll be good at this, I can tell…"


	6. Like Juliet

Well, I totally realized I forgot to do something that I was intending to do for a while now when I submitted that last chapter. (Hey, get off my back, I was exhausted when I was submitting it and I already tend to have a severe forgetfulness "disorder" as it is.) But hey, look on the bright side, you get two chapters because of it this weekend. (Lawl, my 7 total readers.)

So, if you're interested in reading a REALLY LOVELY LuxLar fic that takes place in modern day (well, I assume it is America, cause that's what we Americans do, assume everything is about us) where they don't speak all eloquently and such… PLEASE then, by all means pop on over to Team Braco's page and give his fic _"Be my DareDevil"_ a little look-see. I'm in love with it, and I'm really particular about fan fiction. In fact, give just about all his fics a once over. I've read most, and all are very entertaining in one way or another. Just go show his page some love, you won't be disappointed, I promise! (And his parody fics are second to none, I might add.)

Alright, all that aside…

This story is moving fast now. After this chapter things sort of just jump into hyper drive. We're going to be seeing a lot more of Luxord now, and we get to see just what kind of person he really is (well, sorta) and I'm excited about it.

Larxene's also letting her walls down a bit more. What other choice does she have, really, when Luxord's the only one who can keep her company? Not that she's minding that, but I digress.

If it all seems like its happening too fast, well, it IS happening a BIT fast, but pay attention to the dates of the diary entries. That's why I put the dates on there. What seems like has only been a day could actually be several. It all depends. For example, five days have passed since the last chapter.

Oh, also! There's a device they're talking about in this chapter which they refer to as a "phonograph" or a "gramophone" (depending on who's talking. Lawl, language barriers.) and it is pretty much just an old school record player. (There, I saved you from having to go to Wikipedia!)

And also... I'm a big fag for Tchaikovsky. Pardon it if I have several references to him in this story, or any others.

Anyhow, I think that's enough rambling for now. Enjoy!

* * *

_March 19, 1922_

_I would have never expected for this past week to go as relatively smoothly as it did, given certain situations._

_Luxord has been surprisingly mellow, though every time I go to leave the room, he does seem to have this look of panic in his eyes. I've come to the conclusion that he is such a social fiend that the mere thought of not having someone to entertain drives him crazy._

_And entertaining, indeed, he is. He knows more card tricks than there are cards in the deck! He's tried teaching me some, but I can scarcely shuffle them, let alone try to perform a trick._

_All in all he's been, dare I say, pleasant. I'll admit, I like the changes I've seen in him._

_And he is quite the romantic. I would have never guessed that…_

_--_

Larxene stared up at the double doors leading into the dining room with confusion. This was the last room in the house that she could search for Luxord's whereabouts, yet the doors were locked. She'd spent a good portion of the day, since she'd awoke at noon, looking about the mansion for him. Usually he was outside her door waiting to escort her to breakfast. However, they'd stayed up late the pervious night, sifting through old family photographs of hers and laughing at how her parents had changed over the years. Initially she believed he was still asleep but when she peered into his room she saw he wasn't there. Nobody else seemed to be present in the house either, so she quickly bathed and dressed and began a search for them. She'd searched all day without so much as a whisper from another soul in the house. It was growing annoying. And she stood before the only room she hadn't checked, only to find the doors locked. It was then as she was ready to give up and head to bed, that she heard the doors to the entry hall burst open behind her. She spun around to see her husband standing with an armful of flowers.

Luxord stared at Larxene quietly a moment before forcing a smile. "Good evening, dear."

Larxene cocked an eyebrow and planted her hands on her hips. "Where've you been? I looked all over the place."

"You were looking for me?" Luxord smiled softly and stepped toward the dining room doors. "We've been setting up."

"Setting up?" Larxene watched curiously as Luxord tapped lightly on the doors and they were pulled open. Once he stepped inside she spotted Naminé right away. "Naminé! What are you doing?"

Naminé grinned sheepishly and curtsied. "Forgive me, Miss Larxene. I wasn't there to serve you today because your husband needed my assistance."

"Assistance? Assistance with what?" Larxene huffed and brushed past the girl into the dining room but when she stepped inside it was not dull and lifeless as she expected. She was taken back by how beautiful the room looked. All around were candles and flowers decorating the entire expanse of the hall, and on the table, a meal was already spread out. "Naminé, you did all this?"

"Oh no, I only had the chef prepare your favorite and arranged all the candles while Mister Luxord fetched all the flowers. We've been busy all day." Naminé smiled and excused herself quickly, rushing out the doors and shutting them behind her.

Luxord looked from the flowers he was trying to arrange in a vase to Larxene and back again. "She's really too modest, she did a lot. I can scarcely arrange these flowers the way she did, and this is the most important piece."

Larxene stared around the room in awe before turning her eyes to Luxord. "What's all this for?"

"Our anniversary, of course!" Luxord sighed, gave up on the flower arrangement and stepped over to his wife. "We've been married a full week and managed not to kill each other." He chuckled softly and grabbed her hands in his. "Would you happen to have a gramophone?"

Larxene furrowed her brow in thought. "A what?"

"You know, the device that plays disc records. You wind it up and it has a large, trumpet like output piece." Luxord hurried over to the table and picked up a small disc to display to Larxene. "It plays these."

"Oh! A phonograph!" Larxene laughed and nodded. "Learn to speak English, why don't you."

Luxord chuckled and shook his head. "I'm not going to dignify that with a response. Do you have one or not?"

"Yes." Larxene grinned and pointed over to the corner of the room where their large phonograph peeked out from behind a flower arrangement. She watched intently as Luxord rushed over to it and placed the disc record on it, beginning to turn the crank to wind it up. After a moment the sound of a symphony erupted from the phonograph and Luxord was back at her side.

Luxord bowed to Larxene and took her hand in his. "May I have this dance?"

Larxene blushed lightly and turned her gaze away from Luxord. "You ask like I have a choice."

Luxord grinned and pulled his wife against him. He lead her in a slow waltz where they stood and hummed quietly along with the music. "Do you recognize the composer?"

"Tchaikovsky, right?" Larxene nodded quickly to herself, answering her own question. "Yes, the Romeo and Juliet Overture." She laughed softly and shook her head. "My father used to make me listen to many composers all through my childhood, and I even learned a lot about them in boarding school."

"You're like Juliet, you know?" Luxord chuckled and whirled Larxene around. "And I, foolishly, am like Paris. So who is your Romeo, I wonder?"

Larxene scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Don't compare me to a girl who childishly died for love. That type of plot has no basis in today's society. I married _you_, didn't I?"

"Mmm, indeed. And one can only wonder why." Luxord smiled down at Larxene and pressed his lips to her ear. "Don't be afraid to say it, dear. I know why you married me."

Larxene's face paled. "Y-you do?"

Luxord let out a small laugh. "I could hardly blame you, dear. As dashing and witty as I am, how could you resist?"

"Oh please…" Larxene snickered and rolled her eyes. "You're so full of yourself."

"Perhaps." Luxord grinned and moved his hands to cup Larxene's face. "But you have to admit, in a way it can be attractive."

Larxene blushed lightly and averted her gaze from her husband. "What do you want from me? To say that I think you're handsome? You can forget that, I don't pay compliments."

"How unfortunate, then. I suppose I'll have to gain your affections another way." Luxord leaned in slowly and pressed his lips to Larxene's. He half expected the woman to force him away, but she didn't. He let one hand slide back into her hair as he opened his mouth to deepen the kiss.

Larxene had been caught off guard when Luxord leaned in to kiss her, but that didn't mean she wasn't receptive of it. Still, she was mentally battling herself. Wasn't she cursing this man a mere week ago? Didn't she despise him? But the past couple of days had changed everything. He was kind and funny and not at all what she'd expected. He was the kind of man she imagined she would choose for herself, if she'd had a larger selection. Still, there was this air of danger about him in the way that she didn't truly know what he was capable of. She liked it. So when he opened his mouth to deepen the kiss, she accepted. It was different than when she had kissed Demyx. Demyx, for one, lacked all motivation to be dominant. Luxord however was more than willing to take the reigns. Larxene had never met a man she couldn't walk all over, at least, not until now. When she thought about it, she rather liked that Luxord seemed to have a spine. So she let her hand slide up his chest to rest on the back of his neck.

Luxord pulled slowly away from Larxene and placed a final gentle kiss on her lips before smiling and taking in a big gulp of air. "I'm afraid we have a problem."

Larxene looked up at Luxord curiously. "What kind of problem?"

"My dear…" Luxord chuckled and placed his mouth against her ear as he continued their dance. "I'm afraid I may be falling for you, and that is a very dangerous problem indeed."

--

_How could I respond to that? I couldn't, and I froze._

_The rest of our time was spent in silence over dinner. After that, we both retreated to our rooms for the evening. It was just awkward to say the least, and it only got more awkward a mere hour ago. I was about to turn in for the night when a strange noise came in through the wall. I pressed my ear against the wall and realized that what I heard was sobbing coming from Luxord's room._

_I thought I'd ignore it and just climb into bed, but my curiosity got the best of me, and even now I can't sleep after what I saw. My mind is too full of curiosity…_

_--_

Larxene furrowed her brow as she opened her door quietly and tiptoed out into the hall. It was dark but thankfully Luxord's room was only a few short feet away. She pressed her ear to the door and listened intently to the other side. There was still sobbing. Hesitantly she reached out and turned the knob on the door, cracking it open enough to peer in. She spotted Luxord almost directly, hunched over in bed staring down at something in his hand, and indeed, he was crying. Despite her better judgment, she pulled the door closed and quickly knocked. "May I come in?"

Luxord jumped at the sound of the knock and wiped his eyes on the back of his hands. "Y-yes!"

Larxene reopened the door and stuck her head inside. "Were you sleeping?"

"Uh, no." Luxord shook his head and forced a smile. "Just starting to unwind. I was going to have myself some of your father's stash in a moment."

"Oh." Larxene nodded and stepped further into the room. "You know, the craziest thing just happened. I could've swore I heard sobbing coming through the walls in my room. I was wondering if you heard it."

"You know, I thought I did." Luxord shrugged. "Maybe your home is haunted."

Larxene grumbled under her breath. She was determined she'd find out just exactly why Luxord had been crying. She stepped over to him and sat on the edge of the bed. "So, it wasn't you? It sounded sort of like a manly sobbing."

Luxord chuckled and averted his gaze. "There is no manly way to sob, my dear."

Larxene huffed and blew a stray strand of hair out of her face. "Well the only two people here are you and me, and I don't believe in ghosts."

"Well then we must both be hearing things. I have no reason to cry." Luxord grinned and rested a hand on Larxene's cheek. "I've got a beautiful wife, albeit a vicious one. I've got a lovely place to stay and an alcoholic father in-law who keeps enough alcohol around the house to serve the entire royal navy! What more could I want?"

"A man can have everything in the world that he could ever want, but that doesn't mean he has what he needs." Larxene snickered. "And no, before you go and mistake me for being some kind of deep and intelligent person, I heard that elsewhere." She looked at Luxord with a grin before shrugging. "But if you don't want to talk about it… I guess I'll leave…" She stood slowly but was stopped by a hand on hers as she expected she would be.

"Wait." Luxord pulled Larxene back and smiled. "Stay, just a little bit longer."

Larxene cocked an eyebrow and stared down at Luxord. "Are you going to tell me what's bothering you?"

"Oh, come now. You don't really care about all that." Luxord pulled Larxene into his lap and pressed his lips to her collar bone. "We were having such a lovely evening earlier. Let's continue."

Larxene blushed brightly and pulled away from Luxord. "I'm happy to say I'm not drunk enough for that."

"Ah, harsh words from my harsh wife." Luxord chuckled and regained Larxene's hand, pressing it against his lips. "I apologize. Perhaps I'm moving too fast. After all, we've only been together this short week. And yet, it feels longer with these past few days."

Larxene rolled her eyes. "Well, I'll be turning in now if you have nothing more to add. Good night."

"Good night, dear." Luxord tugged Larxene close enough to place a kiss on her lips before releasing her and watching her half stomp, half rush out of the room in anger and embarrassment. He smiled to himself before rolling onto his side and clutching his pillow. "You'd like her, mum."


	7. One Step Forward

**MIDDLE OF THE WEEK SPECIAL CAUSE ITS ST. PATRICK'S DAY AND I'M IRISH SO I CELEBRATE!**

And what better way to celebrate than with a chapter of good ol' LuxLar?

Wasn't that last chapter just cute?

YES, Luxord was crying. NO, it wasn't cause Larxene's a bitch. You'll find out why eventually and it probably isn't any of the reasons you're thinking. Well, MAYBE it is. But probably not.

THIS chapter is probably what you've been waiting for, especially if you're only reading for the M rating. That's right, sex! Good, old fashioned, alcohol influenced, _"I'm going to regret this later and you'll never let me live this down"_ sex as only I can provide it to you; IN GLORIOUS 3D!

Erk, wait. Scratch that… I can't actually do 3D. Its not in the budget…

IN GLORIOUS 3D AS LONG AS YOU CAN IMAGINE IT THAT WAY!

Dunno why I'm using unnecessary caps. Sorry. Just uber tired and delusional I guess.

To avoid sex (in 3D) please stop at "Take me upstairs." and pick back up at "How are you?"

Other than that, enjoy!

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Drink responsibly and always have a designated driver!

* * *

_March 21, 1922_

_So, I know what you must be thinking by now, diary. You're thinking, "Larxene, why are you letting down your walls for this man you had hated since you'd learned of his existence?" and the answer is…_

_Well, I suppose it isn't very easy at all to answer. _

_Firstly, is money. It has always been and it will always be money. How can I expect Luxord's family to willingly send my family cash if he's writing home to dear old mummy and daddy about what a wretched bitch I am? Alright, maybe putting on a mildly sweet façade is unfair, but it isn't as though I've changed entirely. I'm still sarcastic and rude and anyway, it isn't as though I care if it happens to be fair or not. This union wasn't fair but I'm dealing with it, aren't I?_

_And, well, I suppose he's been charming this past week. Charming and fun. And maybe he's only that way because he's afraid of being alone. I've begun to notice it more and more often. If I'm not around he calls for a servant to come for some of the most trivial things. Just yesterday he called for Naminé to examine my father's chess pieces, insisting that the black rooks were bigger than the white rooks. The poor girl stood there for fifteen minutes insisting that they were the same before I came back in and he willingly excused her._

_I find it odd that he's that afraid of being alone. He must have had constant attention as a child. No wonder he was furious when I ignored him the first couple of days he was here. I'd be pissed at me too. But he isn't anymore. Now he's happy and carefree and always in the mood for one of his stupid card games that I can never seem to win. In the mood for cards and romance._

_And damn it, he's smooth. I catch myself letting him kiss on me all the time. I should mind it. I should hate it. And maybe subconsciously I think that because he's my husband that makes it normal. But it isn't normal to let a man you don't love kiss you, right? I mean, well, that's hypocritical. I let Demyx. Why should Luxord be different?_

_He's so devilishly handsome, after all…_

_--_

"Relax, dear." Luxord chuckled and stood from his seat. He stepped behind Larxene and placed his hands on her shoulders. "This is just a card game, and hearts is much different than poker. You can't master it your first game."

Larxene grumbled and stared straight ahead at Naminé. "I just don't like losing, that's all! Especially not to a kid!"

Naminé giggled lightly. "I'm going to get fired, aren't I?"

"If you don't start losing you will!" Larxene growled and stared at her hand. "I don't even understand this stupid game! And hey, you're cheating!" She turned to glare at Luxord from over her shoulder. "You can't look at my cards!"

Luxord laughed softly and began massaging Larxene's shoulders. "How about we set the pack aside for tonight and just relax." Luxord turned his attention to Naminé and smiled. "Would you excuse us, dear heart?"

Naminé nodded knowingly and grinned. "Yes, Mister Luxord." She sat her cards down on the table and hurriedly exited the room.

"Well…" Luxord snickered as he leaned down and pressed his lips to Larxene's shoulder. "What do you suppose she was all smiles about?"

Larxene scoffed and tilted her head back. "Who knows? That girl walks around with her head in the clouds, always happy."

"Ah. I see." Luxord kissed a small trail up Larxene's shoulder to her neck. "Well, my dear, what do you propose we do now? She's likely halfway to the servant house by now. We're here alone once again, like every night."

"Mmm." Larxene nodded slowly. "Well I guess I should go unwind. I could use a nice hot bath." She stood and pushed in her chair, smiling mischievously. "Good night, Luxord."

"L-larxene, wait." Luxord managed to stammer out. When she turned to face him he froze. What could he say? How could he tell her he didn't want to be alone? She wouldn't understand. He searched his brain for anything to stall her. "Who's going to heat up the water for you?"

"Oh, we had a heating system installed just last year. Very advanced." Larxene grinned and continued her journey upstairs with Luxord trailing behind. She knew he wasn't ready to turn in yet and he didn't want to be left alone, so why not tease him a bit? She stopped at her door and smiled. "Well, I suppose I'll see you tomorrow morning."

Luxord forced a laugh and scooped Larxene's hands up in his own. "Isn't it a bit early to be turning in, dear? We could…" He bit his bottom lip in thought before smiling brightly. "We could raid your father's stash for anything good. Or I could teach you another card game."

"Hmm…" Larxene put a finger to her lips in thought. "You know, a drink or two sounds nice."

Luxord grinned and held out an arm to Larxene. "To the library then?"

--

_Well diary, you know I have a hard time refusing alcohol._

_That doesn't excuse what happened afterward, but it certainly helps explain it. And I suppose a bit of my own human needs played a part as well, but mostly I was innocent in all this._

--

Larxene cackled loudly and tossed back another shot of whiskey. "Can you believe some of the things in this etiquette book? I'm so glad you found this! Did you know this was a required text book when I was in boarding school in New York?" She smiled and thumbed through the old pages. "All this is so good for a laugh." She snickered as Luxord poured her another shot. "Oh, listen to this!" She cleared her throat and put a hand to her chest poorly mimicking a British accent. _"A Few Don'ts for Débutantes: Don't think that because you have a pretty face, you need neither brains nor manners."_ Larxene paused to let out a snort and gulp down the shot. "Oh, I remember this part! My mother used to read it to me over and over again. Something about pawing, let's see…" She skimmed over the paragraph before finding what she'd intended. _"Don't hold hands or walk arm-about-waist in public. Don't allow anyone to paw you. Petting is cheap and pawing common."_ She turned her eyes to Luxord and grinned. "There you go, husband of mine. The book of etiquette says _no pawing_."

"Ah, but you are no longer a débutante." Luxord smiled and boxed Larxene into her perch on the table by placing a hand on either side of her. "You're my wife now, and I don't paw you in public anyhow."

"Not that you wouldn't. You just haven't had the chance." Larxene returned her eyes to the book and snickered. _"Don't talk or laugh loudly enough to attract attention, and on no account force yourself to laugh. Nothing is flatter than laughter that is lacking mirth."_ She snorted again and began kicking her legs. "Oh, am I ever guilty of that!"

"_You_? Guilty of mocking laughter?" Luxord chuckled. "When would you even care enough to mock laughter?"

"That night at my cotillion!" Larxene fell backward onto the table giggling loudly. She'd admittedly had a bit too much. Two drinks were her limit, and here she'd already had four shots. She sat the book aside and reached for the bottle of whiskey. "When I was dancing with Demyx I forced a couple laughs to irritate you. And did it ever work! You were fuming!"

"Oh?" Luxord cocked an eyebrow and crossed his arms. "Going out of your way to get a rise out of me? Whatever for?"

Larxene sat up and huffed. "Oh, don't go trying to turn it around and make it seem like I _cared_. I did it because I hated you and wanted to piss you off, and it worked."

"Ah." Luxord smiled and leaned in closer to Larxene. "And what about now?"

"What _about_ now?" Larxene looked Luxord up and down quietly before fidgeting with his collar. "Are you trying to ask if I still hate you?"

"Well, do you? You haven't acted much like it lately." Luxord raised a hand to her face to brush away a stray strand of hair. "You've been much more accommodating and cheerful. Sure, your sarcasm still pours from your mouth and you haven't gotten any less callous in your words to me, but your body language is different." He caressed her arm delicately with his fingers. "You don't flinch at my touch. You don't cringe when you hear my voice. You don't grimace…" Luxord paused to lean in so that his lips were a mere inch from Larxene's. "when I'm this close to you. If I didn't know any better, I'd say…"

"I'm not falling for you, if that's what you're trying to imply." Larxene rolled her eyes and smirked. "I mean, come now. Of course you're handsome and charming and you've been wonderful this past week. But that's all it has been. _A week_. You think my affections could be bought that quickly?"

"Time has nothing to do with it." Luxord smiled and shook his head. "Romeo and Juliet fell in love after one short meeting and vowed their lives to each other."

Larxene couldn't fight the scoff that came to her lips. "Now you're starting sound as pathetic as Demyx. Romeo and Juliet were two kids that _thought_ they were in love. But it wasn't love, it was lust, and that is the only thing that can grow that quickly. Lust."

"Well then, lust, for the sake of argument." Luxord pressed his lips to Larxene's and chuckled when she pushed him backward. "Pushing me away now? It seems you've got something you're trying to prove to yourself. Let's see now, you don't love me and you're not lusting after me but we're certainly not friends. What could it be then?"

"Just shut up." Larxene crossed her arms and stared hard at Luxord. "I don't remember asking for your opinion."

"Find a way to shut me up then." Luxord laughed softly before smiling brightly. "Ah, I know how to find out what you feel for me!"

Larxene's face paled as Luxord started toward the door. "Luxord, don't you dare! I'll kill you!"

Luxord laughed as Larxene reached out to grab ahold of him and missed. "Don't worry dear, I'll only read a few pages!"

"Like hell you will!" Larxene jumped off the table and stumbled drunkenly after Luxord. She tripped as she reached for him and fell against him, causing them both to topple to the ground. She clenched her eyes shut and put all her weight on top of him, hoping to hold him down, but he didn't try to budge. After a while she opened her eyes and looked down to find him just staring up at her. She furrowed her brow and scoffed. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"You're beautiful and lovely in your own odd little way. Do you know that?" Luxord put his hand to his wife's chin in an effort to bring their lips together. He kissed her gently and smiled. "I'm afraid I _have_ fallen for you Larxene."

Larxene blushed brightly and shook her head. "That's not possible! We've hardly known each other and…"

Luxord smiled and shook his head. "Since the arrangement was made, every year your father would give my father a photo of you. I watched through those photos as you grew from a pretty young girl into a beautiful belle. Occasionally your father would write a letter to my father telling him of your progress in school, what new accomplishments you'd made. All these wonderful things about you came across the sea and this knowledge was shared with me by my father. I became enchanted by the idea that this beautiful young woman was promised to _me_ of all people. I kept thinking how lucky I was and I couldn't wait to meet you."

Larxene stared down at Luxord, her heart pounding. "And then you got here and you realized what a total bitch I was."

"I got here and I was disappointed that you weren't as ecstatic as I was. Back home I had girl after girl chasing after me, but the only one that I thought about was my beautiful belle from abroad. And when I arrived you were venomous and spiteful. I was furious. And yet, I could still see a glimpse of that pretty little girl in there. I knew I could reach in and bring her out if only you'd give me the chance. And I've had that chance these past seven days and I've seen that girl I longed to see. So Larxene, don't you dare say that it isn't possible."

Larxene swallowed hard and growled. "D-don't say things like that!"

Luxord furrowed his brow and thumbed over Larxene's lips. "Why not?"

"B-because!" A whimper fell from Larxene's lips and she tried to pull away from Luxord, but he wouldn't have it. "Release me! Now! Or else I'll…"

"Why are you afraid of letting me in?" Luxord smiled softly and caressed Larxene's cheek. "I think it just might be exactly what you need. Let me _love you _Larxene…"

And that was all it took for Larxene's inhibitions to fly out the door. That handsome face and that charming smile and those beautiful words combined with way too much alcohol had her practically worming her way out of her dress. What was it with handsome, charming men and their ability to seduce her with such sickeningly sweet words of romance? She threw her arms around Luxord's neck and pressed her lips to his. She let her fingers dig into his hair and she pulled her mouth away quickly, gasping for breath. "Take me upstairs."

Luxord wasted no time in scooping Larxene up. He stood slowly and stumbled out of the library as she attacked his face and throat with hungry kisses and nibbles. He managed his way up the stairs and thrust open the first door he came to. It was his own room. He rushed her over to the bed and laid her down, quickly undressing himself before she could change her mind. He pressed his hands against her body and tugged her dress speedily but carefully down to the floor.

Larxene gasped as she felt Luxord's hands roaming over her body. He was above her in seconds, wasting little time in the prelude to foreplay. She felt his hand slide between her thighs and she grunted in opposition. "Wait!"

Luxord yanked has hand back and looked down at Larxene in disappointment. "What? Why?"

Larxene grabbed Luxord by the back of his neck and pulled him closer. "Don't waste time. Just get to it."

"But…" Luxord looked down at her curiously. Did she not know that her first time would hurt or did she simply not care? Perhaps she was a masochist, but it didn't seem likely. He decided quickly that it didn't matter and pressed his all too eager length against her opening.

Larxene winced as she felt Luxord enter her slowly. It hurt more than she expected it to. Perhaps she'd miscalculated. She'd done this before so it shouldn't hurt now, but maybe it actually took a couple of times before she got adjusted. Oh well, too late to turn back now. She sunk her teeth into the nearest flesh she could find at Luxord's shoulder and whimpered.

"Ah, bloody hell! Should have known you'd be a biter." Luxord chuckled lightly and returned Larxene's bite with a nip to her ear. "Relax, love. I'll take it easy."

"I don't want you to." Larxene wrapped her arms around Luxord's torso and dug her nails down his back. "Why hold back? You think I can't handle it?"

"Not that, I just thought you were in pain." Luxord gripped Larxene's hips and pulled her close, thrusting a little bit quicker now with her permission. "But if you don't want me to go easy on you then I won't."

"Good." Larxene leaned forward and caught Luxord's bottom lip between her teeth to coax him into a kiss. She was certain she'd have to take the reigns in this like she did with Demyx, but then again, Luxord had been just full of surprises lately. She forced his mouth open and kissed him deeply, but the battle for dominance quickly began when he rolled his tongue against hers and pushed her head back onto the pillow. He was too damn powerful.

Luxord grinned and tore his mouth from Larxene's, quickly lowering it to her neck and then her collar bone. He brought a hand up from her hip to cup her breast and continued to kiss lower until his tongue graced her nipple. He laughed softly as he felt her shiver and arch her back. He wrapped his teeth around the fragile skin and bit gently enough to entice a loud moan from his wife, pivoting inside her all the while. "Like that, do you?"

"You're so damn full of yourself." Larxene smirked and grabbed a fistful of Luxord's hair, pulling his head back so that she could nip at his throat. "What ever happened to not actually finding me sexually attractive at all?"

"Just words, dear. Words to irritate you. How could it really be true? I mean, look a you." Luxord grinned and pressed his mouth to Larxene's ear. "And I've been waiting for this for so long."

"Oh, have you?" Larxene smiled and let a hand slide up to Luxord's face. "Well then, I hope I don't disappoint."

Luxord laughed and forced himself deeper inside of his wife. The load moan she let out pushed him nearly to the edge and it took all his strength to keep himself from his climax. "Believe me dear, you don't. Not at all." He brought a hand up to cup the back of Larxene's head and pressed his mouth to her throat. "What about you? Are you enjoying yourself?"

Larxene snickered. "Do you have to ask?" She rolled her hips against Luxord's thrusts and groaned as she felt a strange twinge strike through her. She ignored it but then it struck through her again. "Wh-what are you doing to me? It feels…" She gasped loudly as the twinge struck again, this time more powerful. She clung to Luxord and whimpered as it hit again and again, and then there was a strange pulsation deep within her. It felt as though there was pressure that had built up, and now it was releasing in the most amazing way. Her breath caught in her throat and she dug her nails into her husband's back as he continued to thrust inside her. But as quickly as the feeling had appeared, it subsided and she was able to catch her breath again. "Wh-what was that?"

Luxord chuckled and nuzzled Larxene's neck. "Can you really be naïve, dear? You've never felt an orgasm before?"

Larxene growled and glared at Luxord. "Don't call me naïve! How should I know what that was!?" She huffed blew a strand of hair out of her face as Luxord continued his motions inside her. She hadn't felt this so called orgasm when she'd slept with Demyx, so curiosity forced her to ask a question. "Is that going to happen every time?"

"If I do my job right." Luxord smiled and kissed Larxene roughly on the mouth. He forced himself deeper inside her and brought himself closer to his own orgasm. He ground his hips against hers, enticing small whimpers from her. The warmth engulfing him seemed to be trembling with every ragged breath she inhaled before finally he felt himself reach the edge. His climax built and released inside Larxene, her soft walls milking every bit of him until he collapsed above her in exhaustion. It had been a very, very long day. He panted against her forehead as he made an effort to kiss her gently. "How are you?"

"Mmph…" Larxene grumbled and pushed Luxord off of her. She rolled onto her side and closed her eyes. "I'm tired."

"I see." Luxord laughed softly and draped an arm over Larxene's side. He didn't know why, but he'd been expecting at least a small moment of romance after sex. But then again, he should have known better. "Alright then. Good night, dear."

Larxene kept silent and pretended she was already out of consciousness. After a moment she snuggled closer to Luxord and sighed with content. Perhaps this arrangement was truly not so bad after all.


	8. Childish Games

Alright, Friday has sorta become my new upload day. Hoorah?

Ok, at the risk of sounding like a totally ungrateful bitch here; PLEASE, when you review this story/a chapter, please put a bit more than "update soon." It isn't that I don't appreciate that you're eager to see what happens next. In fact I'm GLAD if you're excited or eager and want the next chapter. But the fact is, I WILL update soon. You don't have to ask me. I will update once a week at the very least so asking me to update soon is a bit pointless. Also, the point of a review is to tell the author what you think of the story/chapter, what you did/didn't like, and even make guesses (if you so choose) as to what will happen next. It is those kind of reviews that I get excited to read and so when I get an e-mail telling me I got a new review and I get super excited to read it and then all it says is "update soon" I get pretty disheartened. This isn't directed at anybody in particular. It kinda is more like advice for any future reviewing you may do to not only my stories but other author's stories as well. Keep it in mind, everyone. Please.

Ok, now back to the story. This chapter has NO JOURNAL ENTRY. And it is going to be that way for at least four more chapters.

This is the point in the story where the shit hits the metaphorical fan (the first time). The actual plot is starting to come out now. All that romantic ballroom dancing and wooing? FORGET ABOUT IT! Gone. Everything's going to hell in a hand basket now.

Three days have passed since the last chapter making this the 24th of March, if you must know.

Anyhow, really short chapter. Enjoy anyway!

* * *

Luxord awoke like he had the past couple of mornings; happy. Larxene was of course nowhere in sight. She'd likely snaked off back to her room in the middle of the night, still too ashamed with herself to let the servants know that she and he were now at least sexually content with each other. But that didn't matter because Luxord knew that come nightfall, she'd be back in his room and back in his arms and that was a fact he could deal with. He stretched and yawned as he climbed out of bed. But as he stood there and took note of just how the light fell upon the room, the more he realized something was amiss. Usually before now there was a servant with a wake up call for him as he'd requested one for seven in the morning each day. He picked up his pocket watch which sat beside the bed and noticed it was well into the ninth hour of the day. He pulled on a pair of trousers and started over to the door. He opened it slowly and peered out into the hall to see servants bustling back and forth. He caught Naminé by the wrist as she dashed by and looked to her curiously. "What's all the rush?"

Naminé jumped when Luxord caught her wrist, but when she turned to see it was him she sighed with a bit of relief. "Oh, Mister Luxord! Thank goodness, you're awake! There's no time to explain. Gather all your belongings, anything you wish to bring with you. Leave what you don't need."

"Wait, what's happening Naminé? Where's Larxene?" Luxord looked around the hall in confusion. "A-are some of the other servants stealing things?" He paused to snatch a gold candelabra out of the hand of a passing kitchen worker. "What the hell is going on!?"

"What the hell are you shouting about!?" Larxene grumbled as she stepped out into the hall from her room. She looked to Luxord with a scowl before turning her gaze on the chaos before her. "What's going on?"

Naminé sighed heavily and grabbed Larxene's hand, pulling her along with Luxord down into her father's library where fewer servants were scouring for valuables. "There isn't much time to explain. We received word today that your father has been arrested."

"Arrested!?" Larxene stared at Naminé curiously. "Arrested for what!?"

Naminé looked around cautiously before leaning in closer to Larxene. "He's been illegally producing and transporting moonshine with a few other gentleman around the city."

"What!?" Larxene grabbed Naminé by her arms and shook her lightly. "How long have you known about this!?"

Naminé looked away from Larxene sheepishly. "Ever since he started, about a year ago. He had to do _something_ or you were going to go completely broke! The other servants and I, well, we've been helping. That's why they're all scattering right now. Mr. Even said that if anything should happen, for us to take what we could and get out."

Luxord looked to Naminé calmly. "Well, what happened to warrant this?"

Naminé looked from Larxene to Luxord and back again. "Your mother, strangely enough, was the one that alerted the authorities. We think that is why she decided to take the trip to Georgia. She likely didn't plan on your father accompanying her. Regardless, he was arrested. All assets now fall into your mother's lap, but your father despised the idea early on so he ordered us to take what we could and leave the rest in shambles."

"And what about me!?" Larxene crossed her arms and looked down at her servant in panic. "Where am I supposed to go!? What am I supposed to do!? Did he even bother to think about that when he was busy plotting the revenge he knew he'd have to one day take on my vindictive bitch of a mother!? Do either one of them stop to think about how their ridiculous squabbles are going to effect _me_ or do they just not care!?"

"Actually, your father wanted me to give this to you." Naminé pulled out a letter from her apron and handed it to Larxene. "It doesn't explain much, other than what you should do and where you should go from here. There are contacts in Chicago, men who can help, and that's probably where you should be headed. I'll join you there as soon as I can but there is more I have to take care of here first. In the contents of the letter, your father should describe a man you must seek out when you arrive in Chicago." She paused as Larxene opened her mouth to protest and shook her head. "Larxene, there is _no other choice_! You will _have_ to go to Chicago. There is not going to be anything left here for you and what is left of your father's money now falls to your mother. You have nothing." Naminé unlocked the top drawer of a nearby desk and pulled out a wad of money, handing it to Larxene. "This is money your father put away for emergency. It should get you to Chicago and maybe get you a place to stay for a bit, but it isn't much." She pushed Larxene toward the doors of the library. "Now go! Pack what you can and hurry. There isn't much time."

Larxene looked from Naminé to the letter in her hands. She tore it open as she started out of the library and back up the stairs in a rush, reading it aloud. _"Larxene, if you're reading this then it means I've been imprisoned or worse. If you've spoken with Naminé then you also know what I've been up to these past months. Knowing you, you'd commend my efforts. Your mother on the other hand has strived so hard to aid the prohibition that I know she would turn me over to the authorities if she ever found out. In fact, that is likely what has happened to me if you're reading this. She's the only one who would do so. Everyone else involved stood to lose too much should our little endeavors be revealed. I know that your mother would do this, and you know it too. That is why this situation must be handled delicately. The bitch is to have nothing. Our valuables, our home, all of it will be stripped from her reach. In the meantime, I've arranged for you to safely relocate to Chicago where a large portion of our operation is established. At this point, Naminé will have sent word to my contact in Chicago telling him of your arrival. He will be waiting at the train station. His name is Axel. Do not leave the train station with anybody other than Axel. Once there, he'll help set you up with a job and a place to stay. That is all, good luck…" _Larxene growled and crumpled up the paper, chucking it at the ground. "I swear! Those two are so damn vindictive with each other!"

Luxord chuckled and leaned down to pick up the crumpled up paper. "Yes, well it is a mystery as to where you got your personality from, my dear."

"Shut up!" Larxene glared at Luxord over her shoulder. "You heard what the letter said. We have to pack. My father intends on keeping this home from my mother's possession and if I know anything about him, that means it'll likely be burned to the ground before she arrives back. Go pack what you can carry! We're leaving for Chicago tonight…"


	9. Quite the Predicament

Updating today cause I feel like it. I'm anxious to get this story rolling! (And the last chapter was so short I figured I owed you something more this weekend.)

This chapter is LONG. (Well, by my standards anyhow.) And the cast is growing! We'll be meeting three more characters this chapter, two more in the following chapter, and then one more in another chapter sometime afterward. And I'm uber excited for these characters to come in!

Ok, so there's a name used in this chapter (and I've used it in one of my one-shots) that MAY seem like it comes out of nowhere (if you don't know where it comes from), but I promise it doesn't. The name is Gabbiani and it is Setzer's last name. You know, Setzer from FFVI who also made an appearance in KHII? That completely underrated and forgotten character full of awesome and win? Yeah. Him. Anyway, he's only a mention, not an actual character.

Other than that, expect a little more shit to hit that fan. I'm not quite done throwing Larxene's entire life in the toilet yet.

Oh, also! The time in this chapter is about 2 a.m. so it is the 25th of March now but they're kinda referring to it as the same day since they haven't slept since last chapter.

And now, enjoy!

* * *

Larxene grumbled as they stepped off the train onto the expansive platform before them. Their train had arrived late at night and she was certain whoever was meant to be waiting for them was gone by now so when she saw a blond young man standing a good distance away, she was hesitant to approach him. Luxord however was quick to grab her arm and yank her toward him. As they drew nearer, she saw with shock that this young man seemed to rise no taller than her shoulders and appeared to be even younger than her. Still, he was dressed in a manner that made him appear important. A suit, sleek and dark complimented by a grey vest and a black tie. She cleared her throat and looked at him curiously. "Are you Axel?"

"Name's Roxas." Roxas turned from the two blonds before him and motioned for them to follow. "Axel got tired of waiting. Come on, the car's this way."

Luxord looked to Larxene with an excited smile before tugging her to follow after the boy. They approached a very nice looking Duesenberg and climbed into the back seat. Luxord began trying to comfortably organize the luggage they carried so that they could sit when he heard a strange click which sounded awfully similar to the cocking of a gun. He raised his gaze to find a pistol pointed in his face.

"Bam!" Axel grinned widely from his place in the driver's seat and moved to point his gun at Larxene. "Bam, bam!" He lowered the gun slowly and un-cocked it, tucking it away. "You're both dead. Congratulations."

Luxord looked to Axel curiously before turning his eyes to Larxene who looked as though she was about to faint. "Wh-what was that about?"

Axel turned fully around in his seat to look at the two in back. "You were given specific instructions not to leave the station with anybody other than Axel. _I'm_ Axel!"

Luxord looked to Axel calmly. "Well, yes but we asked that boy and he said you got tired of waiting."

"Yeah, but let me guess. You asked him if _he_ was Axel. You gave my name to somebody, and he could have said yes he was. He could've lied. He could've been a member of a rival organization or worse, a fed." Axel put his finger to his temple and tapped. "You gotta start thinkin' if you're gonna make it around here. You _never_ give out information. You ask him his name and if it ain't Axel, you don't budge. Got it? Now you're both dead."

Luxord nodded slowly. "I see. But, why did you shoot Larxene twice?"

"Always shoot a dame twice." Axel smiled as Roxas climbed into the front seat snickering. "Pisses off the feds and there ain't nothin' better than jerkin' some suits."

Larxene growled and crossed her arms. "Enough playing around! We're here and we've had a long journey! Where will you take us now?"

Axel chuckled and shook his head. "Listen doll, this ain't no leisure trip. Now, I don't know what your daddy told you to keep you from kickin' and screamin' on your way here, but you're here as collateral."

"Collateral!?" Larxene grit her teeth and glared at the redhead in the front seat. "What do you mean!?"

"We run a pretty lucrative business little girl, and your daddy got caught. We need you as insurance that he won't turn us over to the feds, and we were gonna get you in our possession one way or another." Axel smiled at the furious looking blonde woman and patted her cheek. "But don't worry doll, if you keep us happy we'll keep you safe and secure."

"And don't even think about turning us over to the feds." Roxas glanced over his shoulder at the two with a smirk. "There's too many of us and if you snitch, you'll be dead before we're even arraigned, and your father will be too. Trust me, we have ways of getting into prisons to take care of a job."

Luxord placed a hand over Larxene's as she huffed furiously and clenched her fists. "Alright, fair enough. What do we have to do to stay in your good graces?"

"I'm glad you asked." Axel pulled out a cigarette and lit it before continuing the conversation. "My boss has a new facility that needs management. Now, lately the feds have been all over the speakeasies around here which is why we need somebody that ain't a member of our organization to run it. You get caught, you go to jail, we keep doin' business."

Larxene scoffed. "And how is that at all fair?"

"It ain't. But given your situation, doll, I'd think you'd be happy to agree." Axel took a long drag from the cigarette before blowing the smoke in the couple's faces. "And another thing, you've got new identities. You can keep your first names for all I care, but you're the Gabbiani family now. You just moved here from New York. Which reminds me, you gotta work on that little southern twang of yours."

Larxene crossed her arms and scoffed again. "I do _not_ have a southern twang! I'll have you know I studied at some of the most prestigious schools in the country and not once was a southern twang a part of my dialect lesson!"

"Doesn't matter. You've got it. Its subtle but you got it, and there ain't no dialect coach in the world that can take the drawl out of a southern belle. You're gonna have to work on that cause the feds around here are gonna pick up on that right away and you could blow your own cover." Axel took another drag and let it out slowly. "Now, how do you feel about niggers?"

Luxord grit his teeth and stared hard at Axel. "I'd just as soon swallow a dagger than associate with a bloody caffer!"

"Well now, that may be a problem." Axel popped his neck and looked at Luxord. "We got niggers all around here and they're lookin' for jobs. We're plannin' on hirin' some to work in the speakeasy. We need musicians and Jazz is the hot thing right now. I ain't ever heard a white man that can play Jazz like a nigger, so you're gonna have to get over that narrow minded view of yours."

"You can forget it then. We'll find another way but I won't share my breathing space with a caffer." Luxord crossed his arms and shook his head. "I refuse."

"Maybe you're missin' the point." Axel pulled his gun back out and waved it in the air. "We're callin' the shots around here and this ain't a fucking bargainin' hour. You do what we say or you're out on the streets pan handlin' for change. Got it?"

Larxene looked to Luxord as he opened his mouth to protest. She knew she had to cut him off. "It'll be fine. I have no problem with blacks and I can work the speakeasy myself if need be."

"Good." Axel turned around in the car and started the engine. "Now let's get to where we're goin'. If I don't deliver you to my boss before dawn, your daddy is gonna be havin' one hell of a bad day."

Larxene looked to Luxord nervously and gripped his hand as he glared straight forward at the back of Axel's head. She couldn't believe how fast this was all happening. It all seemed like a bad dream. Only a day ago, she was happy at home enjoying a drink and Luxord's company. Now she was so very far from home, practically alone and admittedly terrified. She'd read a bit about gangsters in the newspaper and from what she had read, they were ruthless. There was no telling what they'd subject her to once they got to their headquarters. But as they arrived in a high class neighborhood, Larxene realized that the place they dwelled was not some dark, dank alleyway like she'd imagined. Large wrought iron gates were parted for them on a road leading to a beautiful mansion and soon the car came to a stop.

Axel turned to the couple in the back seat and smirked. "Grab your shit and get out."

Luxord scowled and grabbed up their luggage as he climbed out of the back of the car. He waited for Larxene to get out before following the two gangsters that had already entered the mansion. Once they were inside they made a quick left down a hall and into a parlor room where a tall man stood by a fireplace. He wore a suit similar to the ones Axel and Roxas wore, only made of much finer fabric.

"Got the dame, boss. And an unexpected passenger too." Axel snickered and motioned to Luxord. "Damn limey, and a cocky one too."

"Well, little Nami _did _send word that there may be someone else accompanying the girl." Marluxia grinned widely and turned to face the two blonds standing near the door of the parlor. "Well don't just stand there. Come closer and let me see those faces."

Larxene swallowed hard and glanced at Luxord but he didn't budge. Instead of waiting for him she took the initiative and stepped forward into the light from the fireplace.

"Oh my…" Marluxia smiled brightly and stepped closer to Larxene. He grabbed her chin in his hand and examined her face closely. "You are _quite_ the beautiful one, aren't you? Very pretty. Much more lovely than your photograph." He caressed her face gently with the back of his hand when he noticed a glimmer of fear in her eyes. "Don't worry, sweet, I won't harm you. Not as long as your father keeps his mouth shut." He turned his eyes to the man still standing by the door and motioned him over. "Come closer."

Luxord growled under his breath and dropped the luggage by the door. He stepped closer to the curious man and scowled.

"Ah, much better." Marluxia looked Luxord up and down quietly before smiling happily. "Perfect. You'll both do marvelously. Both pleasing to look at and poised like nobles. It looks like things couldn't have worked out like this at a better time." He turned his eyes to Axel. "I assume you told them about our need for someone to run the speakeasy?"

"Yes boss." Axel nodded. "The dame here agrees, but her beaux, not as much. Got a problem with niggers."

Marluxia made a tsk sound and shook his head. "That won't do. Not at all." He turned his gaze to the blond British man curiously. "You have a problem with blacks?"

Luxord nodded quickly. "Yes, and I'd rather not get into the matters of why."

"Fair enough. I suppose everyone is entitled to their own opinion." Marluxia motioned Roxas over quickly. "Roxas, show these two to their staying room and be courteous about it."

Larxene let out a heavy sigh as the blond young man lead them out of the parlor room. She picked up one of her bags and allowed Luxord to carry the others as they made their way upstairs. They were let into a massive room, twice the size of Larxene's back home and just as well furnished. She sat her luggage by the door and let out a loud groan. "This has been one hell of a day."

Luxord crossed his arms after discarding their luggage and leaned against the wall. His gaze flew to Larxene curiously. "There's something I've been meaning to ask you."

Larxene pulled her shoes off her feet and yawned. "Well hurry and ask. I'm tired."

"When Naminé said that your father had to do something or you were going to go completely broke, what did she mean?" Luxord pulled away from the wall and advanced on Larxene as she sat on the bed. "Was your family bankrupt?"

Larxene scoffed to hide the nervousness swelling up inside her, although she really didn't need to feel nervous at this point. The whole marriage for money issue seemed trivial now. Regardless, she avoided the subject. "Look Luxord, I'm exhausted and…"

"Answer the question." Luxord stared down at Larxene and placed his hands on his hips. "Was your family bankrupt? I expect an answer."

Larxene rolled her eyes and growled. "Yes! Alright!? Yes, we were practically broke all thanks to my bitch of a mother. My father owned a large distillery and made a great profit, as I'm sure you knew since much of his exports went to your father's company. But my mother took thousands of what he made and donated it to campaigns and groups in support of prohibition! Who knows why she did it? Maybe she truly hated alcohol, or maybe she was furious that my father's business kept him so far away from home all the time! Whatever her reason, she got her wish and prohibition went into effect. The distillery went down and we slowly spent what money my father had, all to keep up this ridiculous façade of wealth!"

Luxord nodded slowly, everything suddenly making a perverse form of sense. "Is that why you married me then? Lord knows it wasn't for love."

Larxene grumbled and crossed her arms. "I don't see what good drudging this all up now is going to do us, but if you must know, yes. Yes, I married you for your wealth. Because we couldn't allow our social status to suffer and we certainly couldn't borrow money from anyone within our group so I married you because you're from abroad and our fathers were such good friends."

Luxord stared down at Larxene quietly a moment before bursting into laughter. He doubled over and knelt on the ground laughing so hard that eventually he cried. "What bloody irony!"

Larxene cocked an eyebrow and glared down at Luxord. "_What_, pray tell, is so funny about that?"

Luxord wiped away his tears and made an attempt to swallow his laughter. Exhaustion had left him nearly delusional. "Y-you married me to maintain your wealth and social status!" He paused to force down a chuckle. "But I'm fucking broke!"

"What!?" Larxene leapt off the bed and stood over Luxord with clenched fists. "You're broke too!?"

Luxord continued to fight back giggles as he held his side, now aching from laughter. "You think you're the only ones prohibition hit hard? It effected my father's business too and we went bankrupt as well. But I couldn't just marry any girl, oh no. My father insisted it be a girl from abroad so that nobody in London would know about our financial woes. So I married you! But you were just as broke as I was! Now look at us!"

"You bastard!" Larxene glared down at Luxord furiously. "You unbelievable bastard!"

"Watch your mouth!" Luxord jumped to his feet and stared hard at Larxene. "Do you know what you imply of my mother when you say that word? Don't you _dare_ speak so illy!"

"You…" Larxene growled and grit her teeth. "After all you said about how you used to think of only me all the time and you were excited about marrying me and even that you were falling for me, all of it was a lie! You just wanted me for my money!"

"Oh, like you're any better!" Luxord scoffed and crossed his arms. "You're guilty of the same thing and at least there was _some_ truth to what I said! I may not have been particularly excited about this arrangement but I dealt with it the best I could and I have grown rather fond of you! You on the other hand, you still despise me and I've done nothing but be kind and wonderful to you! No matter what I do, I can't win!"

"How dare you say I despise you! I wouldn't treat you how I have been if that were true! You don't know anything at all about how I feel!" Larxene turned away from Luxord and furrowed her brow. "I'm no more happy about this arrangement than you are. And like you, I've been making the best I can out of what I've been given. Still, its hard and you can't just expect me to instantly love you! I don't love anyone, not even my parents."

"That's the biggest load of horse shit I've ever heard! You're just afraid to love so you tell yourself that you don't or you can't. How can you not love your parents? They gave you life! And sure, they can be overbearing but they're your parents! You're lucky to have them both!" Luxord sighed and crossed his arms. "Christ, Larxene. Show some bloody compassion."

"I don't have compassion. I'm a frigid bitch, remember?" Larxene groaned and slipped out of her dress. "And I'm done with this conversation. I need sleep. It has been a very, very long day." She plopped down on the bed and wormed her way under the blankets. Her head had little time to hit the pillow before sleep took her.


	10. Twisting the Dagger

So I'm sorta still reeling from a hardcore dose of imported French Absinthe I had about two hours ago, so I figured, why not upload a chapter? It isn't like I got anything better to do! I may or may not upload my normal Friday chapter tomorrow. I guess it depends on how long I sleep before I have to go to work.

BWA HA HA! Oh man, Larxene is so screwed. Like, seriously, her life can't get much more awkward at this point. Oh wait… IT CAN. And it will.

And be prepared for the introduction of two more characters. I'm pretty sure their roles will be minor, like Roxas and Axel's roles. But I need them regardless.

So anyhow, ENJOY! HUZZAH! I can't remember if there's any French in this chapter. I don't think there is but I'm too lazy to look right now and probably too drunk to effectively translate anyhow (French is not my forte) so if there is, I'll translate next chapter and that'll just have to be ok.

Now ENJOY!

* * *

Larxene awoke to find Luxord staring at her. She grumbled and pushed off of him, letting herself roll out of the bed and onto the floor. This was certainly not the way she wanted to wake up after the day she'd had previously. She groaned and rolled onto her back, staring at the ceiling in irritation before Luxord's face came into view once again. "Uhg… I can't believe you had the audacity to crawl into bed with me."

Luxord stood above Larxene with hands planted firmly on his hips. "Well pardon me, miss perfect. It was the only place available that didn't look as though sleeping there would break my back, and besides, you're far from innocent in this as well."

Larxene growled and crossed her arms. "You could have told me you were poor before we got married! You said yourself, you know I didn't marry you for love."

"Yes, well it isn't as though I thought it was for money either. I thought you were doing your father's bidding. I didn't dream that we'd be in the same exact situation. The irony is so bitter I can taste it." Luxord sighed and stared down at Larxene. "Besides, it wasn't as though money was the _only_ reason I married you. You're still cunning and ruthless and I like that in a woman. I plan to tame you, you know." He grinned widely down at his wife's less than pleased face and held a hand out to her. "Not to mention your beauty, which is something I've adored for so many years."

Larxene rolled her eyes and accepted Luxord's hand. "You're just lucky that all of that no longer matters. If it did, you'd be on thinner ice with me than you are now. But like it or not, I need you." She pulled a sheet from the bed to cover her nearly nude body from Luxord's eyes and scowled. "Now, would you mind looking away while I get dressed?"

Luxord stared at Larxene quietly for a moment before it dawned upon him that she was being serious. He couldn't fight the chuckle that rose in his throat. "Why so shy all the sudden, dear?" He reached out with a smirk and pulled her against him, caressing the bare skin of her arms with his hands. "It isn't as though I haven't seen more of you than this. Why, just the other night…"

"Put a lid on it." Larxene narrowed her eyes on Luxord and tore away from him. "I have no interest in a man that deceived me the way you did."

Luxord scoffed and followed Larxene across the room with a smile. "Can't we let that go? You said yourself, none of that matters any longer. Besides, you did the same thing. Should I shun and mistreat you?"

"Well, _my dear_, we've already established that I'm a cunning and ruthless bitch." Larxene knelt down and began digging through one of her bags, finding a long black dress that she favored. She slipped it on over her head and turned her gaze to her husband before walking over to the vanity where a brush sat waiting. She picked it up and began brushing through her short locks. "You on the other hand are supposed to be a charming British gentleman. Charming British gentlemen don't lie to their wives!"

Luxord shrugged. "True, more or less. However, you weren't my wife at the time. And also, I never lied. I never said I was wealthy. And maybe if you'd spent more time getting to know me instead of playing bed games with your little friend Demyx, I would have been more inclined to tell you the truth."

Larxene gasped and whirled around to face Luxord. She slammed the brush down on the vanity and glared at him. "I already told you, nothing happened between us!"

"So you both insisted." Luxord shrugged again and watched Larxene's face calmly. She seemed incredibly agitated and he couldn't place if he'd struck a nerve with his comment or if it was merely everything weighing down upon her finally causing her to crack. He had his suspicions about her relationship with Demyx but he quickly decided now was not the moment to try and delve deeper into the situation. At that moment there came a knock at the door but before he could respond to it, Roxas poked his head in the room. "Can we help you?"

Roxas glanced to Larxene to see if she was decent. At seeing that she was, he opened the door completely and stepped into the room. "The boss wants to see the two of you downstairs. It isn't optional."

"Alright." Larxene crossed her arms and slipped her feet into a pair of house slippers that sat at the foot of the bed. She waited for Luxord to dress in pants and a shirt before she started out of the room. She let Roxas lead them down the stairs and into a dining room where the men she'd met the night before sat at a table along with others she hadn't yet met.

Marluxia smiled as Larxene entered the room and motioned to the chair nearest to him. "Good morning. You slept well, I hope."

Larxene grumbled as she took a seat near the head of the table and glared at Luxord. "The room was nice, but the company could have been more preferable. If it wouldn't be too much trouble, I'd like separate rooms from now on."

Marluxia cocked a curious eyebrow and looked Larxene over calmly. "Mmm, well, in a few short days this entire place will be yours. You and your…" He turned his gaze to Luxord with a smirk. "_man friend_ can sleep in whatever room you like. Of course, when it comes down to your public face you'll have to pretend to be a loving married couple."

Luxord scowled and crossed his arms as he took a seat beside Larxene. "We _are_ a married couple."

"Oh?" Marluxia blinked between the two. "Forgive me, I didn't get that from your demeanor."

Larxene scoffed and waved Luxord's comment away. "Ignore him. He's ridiculous. We're actually going to be getting an annulment. We married under false pretences."

"Oh, you can't do that." Marluxia leaned forward on the table and smiled at Larxene. "Didn't Axel tell you? You have new identities now. Getting an annulment won't be possible, as that would alert authorities to your whereabouts. And while you aren't exactly fugitives of the law, the authorities _are_ going to want to question you about your father's recent activities. Besides, it doesn't do me any good to lose my new assets because of something so trivial as a marriage annulment." He smiled and grabbed Larxene's chin between his finger and his thumb. "Anyhow, Mrs. Gabbiani, shall we get down to business?"

"What business?" Larxene pulled her face from the handsome man's grasp and furrowed her brow. "And why Gabbiani? Neither one of us look Italian."

"An old business associate of mine was named Gabbiani, however he met with an unfortunate end." Marluxia mimicked the shape of a gun with his hand and aimed at Larxene's head with a wink. "He graciously left the deed to this estate in my care. Shame he never got to see it after he and his lovely wife purchased it."

Luxord nodded to himself and pulled his arms tighter across his chest. "So you murdered him and stole this place."

"Murder? No." Marluxia smiled sweetly at the blond British man. "He had a terribly unfortunate accident." He waved away Luxord's comments much like Larxene had and turned his eyes back to the woman, cupping her hand in his own. "Anyhow, sweet, it doesn't matter that you or your _husband_ don't look Italian. Gabbiani himself was so far bread from his Italian heritage that he couldn't even speak a lick of the language. He was a second generation American, and his family was from England so there's really no telling where he got the name. It isn't important anyhow, because it is that exact mystery lineage that will keep your cover. Now, on to other matters." Marluxia snapped his fingers and watched as two of his men stood. "Boys, come over and introduce yourself to our lovely Mrs. Gabbiani."

Larxene watched nervously as a massive man made his way over to her slowly with a much shorter man trailing closely behind. She stared up at them from her seat and swallowed hard as the larger of the two took up her hand.

Lexaeus brought Larxene's hand to his lips and looked down at the young woman kindly. "My name is Lexaeus. I'll be the bouncer for the speakeasy. I'm sure you can guess that's due to my size."

Larxene forced a smile and nodded stiffly. "A pleasure to meet you."

Zexion scoffed and placed his hands on his hips as he turned to look at Marluxia. "What's the deal? Are we treating her like royalty now? She's still collateral."

Marluxia flashed a dangerous glare at Zexion. "Congenial is always the goal. Just because we run a criminal business, that doesn't mean we have to act like a bunch of brainless thugs. We're better than that. We're gentlemen, all of us! And gentlemen are always congenial. Now, introduce yourself like a gentleman."

Zexion rolled his eyes and took Larxene's hand in his, pressing it to his lips. "My name is Zexion. I'm going to be the bartender for the speakeasy but I'm really only going to be there to keep an eye on things. If you slip up even once I won't hesitate to shoot you. Just because the boss is sweet on you doesn't mean…"

"That's quite _enough_ Zexion. Thank you." Marluxia kicked Zexion's shin and scowled as the short man started back toward his original seat. He then turned his eyes back to Larxene and recaptured her hand in his own. "Anyhow, sweet…"

Larxene looked to Lexaeus and Zexion in confusion before turning her gaze back to Marluxia. "But… I thought Axel said we'd be running the speakeasy ourselves. That way if we got caught, we were the only ones that went to jail."

"Well, yes. That was the original plan. However, your _husband's_ distaste for blacks has forced my hand. The music situation can not be helped but as for the other help around the speakeasy, it will be my own men. The unfortunate thing about whites is that we have our wits about us. Blacks don't care what they're doing as long as they're getting paid. But whites are whiney and constantly scared of getting caught so there's hush money and all kinds of security pay needed. Just costly, really. So I just hired my own men instead." Marluxia smiled and toyed with the ring on Larxene's finger delicately. "They'll be there to protect you and keep an eye on things."

"I see." Larxene nodded slowly. "That's a comfort, I think."

"Oh, speaking of comfort." Marluxia grinned widely. "I think this next bit will please you." He snapped his fingers and turned his eyes to Roxas. "It is time."

Larxene watched curiously as Roxas disappeared through a door. She was still unsure of what to think of these gangsters. And then the door burst back open and she let out a loud shriek of fear.

Naminé followed Roxas into the room calmly and stopped in front of Larxene. "Larxene, are you _screaming_? Since when were you so weak hearted?"

"Naminé!?" Larxene stood quickly and wrapped her arms around the little blonde young woman with a bright smile. "Oh, are you a sight for sore eyes or what! But what are you doing here? Aren't you scared? I mean, these guys are serious gangsters!" She paused to look at Marluxia with a half smile. "No offense of course."

Marluxia chuckled. "None taken."

Naminé laughed softly and shook her head. "They didn't tell you yet?"

Larxene's face fell, unsure if she could handle any more sudden news. "Tell me what?"

Naminé pulled a gun from a holster on her thigh and smiled. "I was a plant. When your father decided he wanted to join up with the big boys and become a part of the rum running business, they needed someone to keep an eye on him. Someone that could be his connection to the organization without putting him in direct contact with the boss. I also served as a constant reminder that he was in pretty deep with us and if he squealed, well…" She shrugged and tucked the gun away again. "I couldn't tell you for obvious reasons. I hope that doesn't change your opinion of me."

Larxene stumbled backward into her chair and stared down at the ground. She felt so helpless. So incredibly helpless. Nothing had ever made her feel this way before and she hated it. Her hands were trembling. So this was what it felt like. Deceived and lied to by everyone she knew. Her mother, her father and Luxord. Now Naminé, the one person she trusted most of everyone. _"I need a drink…"_ She raised her gaze to Marluxia and opened her mouth to speak but found that she couldn't form the words. She'd been utterly hijacked. Completely held captive by these people. She didn't have a single person in the room she could trust, and then the door behind her opened and she heard footsteps entering the room but she was too scared to turn and look. She couldn't stand the thought of _another_ gangster entering the room.

"Sorry it took so long. I had a late train last night so I wanted to catch up on my sleep. I'm glad to finally be here though. Did you… wait, L-Larxene?" Demyx froze in his place as his gaze fell on the blonde woman sitting near Marluxia. "What are you doing here?"

Larxene stood as she heard Demyx speak her name. She whirled around to face him and stared at him in awe. She didn't know why he was there or even if he really was, but at the moment, she didn't care. She bolted into his arms and buried her face in his chest letting everything that was weighing down on her just fall. She let herself cry, let herself scream, let herself fall into blackness as he wrapped her in his embrace.


	11. Is This Happening?

Uhg, I was gonna update first thing this morning but there was so much other stuff I had to do.

I'm uploading two, maybe three chapters today. (I'm feeling super dizzy and ill so we'll see how my brain feels by the time I get to the third chapter.)

Larxene's starting to realize now that she ISN'TaPrincessOMG! and that it is time she stopped acting like everybody treat her as one. Of course, it'll be a while before she actually stops acting that way, but a least she's starting to realize it. Spoilt brats aren't broken down in a day, you know.

Journal entries will be scarce because, as you can imagine, Larxene doesn't have much time to write anymore. (That, and I decided I'm not too terribly fond of the format other than it helped keep track of time.)

This chapter and the following chapter take place on the exact same day as the last chapter.

And, well, enjoy.

* * *

Larxene opened her eyes to find Demyx staring down at her. She groaned and made an effort to sit up but he pushed her back down. "What's the big idea?"

Demyx laughed softly and ran a hand over Larxene's forehead. "You fainted. How very ladylike of you. Definitely not what we expected."

Larxene scowled and looked up at Demyx. "What are you doing here?"

"I'll tell you later, darling." Demyx smiled and began running his fingers through her hair. "Right now you need to rest. You were just lucky you were in my arms when you fainted."

"Demyx!" Larxene glared at him and put her hands to her head. "Within the past day I've discovered that my father was a rum runner in alliance with a group of gangsters, my lady's maid was actually one of said gangsters, my mother is _still_ a ridiculously spiteful bitch and my husband only married me for my family's money! I can't handle anymore of this! Fess up now! What is your part in this giant mess!?"

Demyx laughed sheepishly. "Well, don't be mad…"

Larxene growled and crossed her arms. "Out with it already!"

"Your father got my father involved pretty early on with the whole rum runner business. There's a lot of money to be made in it, you know. Even though we were making a fraction of what the gangsters were selling it for, it was still good money. And I got involved too because, well, why not? It isn't as though I had much else to do. But somebody ratted us all out. My father got arrested, I'm assuming yours did too. So I had to come here, because that's what they said to do if anybody got caught." Demyx smiled and shrugged. "And here I am."

"So…" Larxene grumbled under her breath and clenched her fists. "You're just as bad as all the others!"

"Ah, come now." Demyx grasped her hand and shook his head. "Please don't be like this. I couldn't tell you for your own safety. You have to understand that. Nobody wanted to involve you in this, darling. We all love you far too much."

"Well I'm involved now!" Larxene rolled onto her side so that her back was facing Demyx. "Why don't you go make some moonshine or something?"

Demyx sighed sadly and put his hand on Larxene's shoulder but she quickly slapped it away. "Larxene…"

"Go Demyx." Luxord stepped over to the bed from where he'd been standing against the wall. "Princess here can't be bothered with deceitful people. She's perfectly innocent in all of this, you know." He crossed his arms and watched as Demyx slowly stood and exited the room. As soon as the younger man was out of sight he took a seat beside Larxene on the bed and nudged her. "He's right, you know. They were just trying to protect you."

Larxene moaned and covered her face with a blanket. "Go away. You're the last person I want to talk to."

"I'm not leaving." Luxord tugged the blanket from around Larxene's face and stared down at her. "You're being ridiculous! Just because nobody told you their deep dark secret, that doesn't change a thing. It doesn't change the past year at all. They're all still the same people that love and adore you. And you, might I add, are not an easy person to love or adore! You're cold and callous and absolutely vicious! The only time you're _ever_ pleasant is when you're drunk! So if I were you I'd be thanking my lucky stars that I have people around that loved me despite all that, rather than laying in bed and hating the world because you weren't afforded a few minute details! The longer you lay here feeling sorry for yourself, the worse you're going to feel!"

Larxene glared at Luxord over her shoulder and tugged the blanket out of his hand. "Are you finished?"

"No! I'm not!" Luxord yanked the blanket back into his hand and stared hard at his wife. "This may not be the life you wanted to live, but it is the life you've been given. You need to make the best of it!" He paused to examine her face and even though she was looking away from him, he could see her roll her eyes. He scoffed in anger and clenched his fists. "Ah! Woman, you are so infuriating I can hardly stand it! Do you realize the lucky hand you've been dealt!? You've lived your whole life with a silver spoon in your mouth. And until this point life has been good to you. You've gone to the best schools. You've needed for nothing! And even now, you're so lucky! Here you are in an extravagant home, free reign over it all. Sure, the circumstances are a bit unorthodox. Technically you're a hostage to a group of gangsters, but at least they are kind and courteous to you! At least they don't have you working in some underground facility making moonshine until the early hours of the morning! They're treating you with all the graciousness that they would treat royalty and yet you still find a way to complain! You're a bloody moron!"

Larxene rolled over to face Luxord and narrowed her eyes on him. She sat slowly and reached out to grab his collar. "How dare you!"

"Stop now." Luxord growled and placed his hands on Larxene's shoulders in an attempt to lay her back down. "You just fainted a while ago. You shouldn't exert yourself."

"As though you care!" Larxene fought against Luxord but she was weaker than normal and he quickly won the battle. She stared up at him angrily, tears finding their way to her eyes for a reason she didn't quite understand. She blinked them away and let them roll onto her cheeks but before she could wipe them away, she felt Luxord's hand brushing them aside.

Luxord watched Larxene quietly as she averted her gaze from him. He smiled softly to himself and leaned down to press his lips to her forehead. "You need rest. Get some sleep. And don't be so quick to push away those who care so much about you."


	12. A Face in the Dark

Shortest chapter evar. DUN DUN DUN, the plot thickens. New character introduction this chapter, everybody's favorite! *sarcasm*

Bah, short chapter is short. Enjoy!

* * *

Saïx adjusted the hat on his head and inhaled deeply the scent of rain on the air. His contact had been late for their dinner meeting and he very well couldn't linger in the restaurant without attracting more attention than a federal agent like himself desired to attract. This meant their meeting place changed to the dark alleyway behind the restaurant. He pulled his coat tighter around himself taking note of the unsettling chill in the air and started toward the alley. As he approached he saw a dark figure already there, likely waiting for him. "You're late."

"I'm sorry. I had some loose ends I had to tie up."

Saïx cocked an eyebrow and crossed his arms. "I certainly hope that is figurative speech. Just because you've agreed to help us bring these scumbags down, that doesn't make you immune from any current illegal activities thereafter."

"What do you expect me to do? Tell them _"I'm sorry, I can't help you make and transport moonshine or do any other of the various illegal business that we might partake in, because when I turn you over to the FBI I want to be free and clear of all charges?"_ Because I can see how that would certainly help the situation."

Saïx scoffed. "Don't get smart. I scheduled for us to meet so that you could update me. What is going on? What's the current status? Do you know the distillery location yet?"

"Oh, there's been quite the interesting development. A lot has happened since my last update. For one, they've obtained, likely through illegal means, a mansion from which they plan to run an underground speakeasy. That's likely the location of the distillery as well."

"Perfect." Saïx smiled to himself. This would certainly get his superiors off his back about this case. "When do you think will be a good time to raid? Have you figured out when we can do the most damage?"

"Now, you see, there's the difficult part. This situation is much more precarious than just storming in and taking them down. There is a hostage situation…"

Saïx's ears perked up at the words. "Hostage!? Since when?"

"Since you arrested the big wigs down in New Orleans. They're not exactly sure where the leak in the system came from and they're taking great precaution to prevent anybody from talking. Of course, the only one with a real family to lose was Vexen Even. And that means his daughter… Larxene…"


	13. Back to the Old Game

This chapter is a journal entry chapter. *sigh* Oh, Larxene. You silly girl!

We see a bit more of the REAL Marluxia and Demyx in this chapter, and just how devious they both can be.

Oh, what's that? You thought Demyx was a _good guy_? Bwa ha ha. Oh dear…

Not much else to say. Yay! I actually made it to submitting three chapters today despite my dizzy illness. Enjoy!

* * *

_April 1, 1922_

_I can't believe I'm actually finding a moment to write! Everything has happened so fast, diary, and I've been so busy._

_Luxord and I have found ourselves caught up in a complete mass of trouble. We're living in the mansion of some unfortunate dead man and we've been forced to assume his identity. Oh, have I forgot to mention there are gangsters involved?_

_Nearly everyone I trusted was involved with a group of gangsters! My father and Demyx. And Naminé, Naminé herself is actually one of these gangsters!_

_And then Luxord, well, I suppose I should let it go. But I'm so furious with him! He was in the exact same situation that I was with money. Because of prohibition in the US, his father's company went severely bankrupt as a distributor and Luxord was urged to marry into money. Both our fathers are stubborn, prideful men that wouldn't let on to how truly poor they'd become so it only made sense for them to think the other was still wealthy. Thus, Luxord and I married each other hoping to gain money from one another's family. How horrifically it has backfired on both of us. Now we can not get an annulment because of the situation we're in, not that he wants to. He claims there was more than just money involved when he agreed to marry me. I don't know how much of that I can believe._

_He hasn't treated me any differently now that he knows though. He still makes an effort to romance me but because of everything, I'm far from in the mood to accept any of his advances._

_And speaking of advances, Luxord isn't the only one._

_There is a man named Marluxia who I'm almost certain is the top boss of this whole gang. He's been exceptionally kind throughout the past eight days. Perhaps a little too kind. He insists that Luxord, Demyx and I join him for dinner each night although I'm expecting the dinner invitations to dwindle to just including myself very soon. At dinner he insists I sit nearest to him and when I do, the conversations that follow usually involve a lot of touching on his behalf. If he isn't clasping my hand, he's caressing my face or thumbing my chin, much to the irritation of both Luxord and Demyx. And honestly, were I not terrified of this man I would say there would be cause for them to be concerned. He's more handsome than both of them and doubly charming. Luxord loathes him and I can tell by the glimmer of fury in Demyx's eyes that he shares the sentiment._

_And speaking of Demyx…_

--

Larxene yawned sleepily as she slipped out of her dress. It had been a long day with everyone in the house. They'd just begun putting the finishing touches on the speakeasy in the cellar and still they were hard at work. She'd lent a helping hand where she could but most of her day was spent being barked at by Zexion about what etiquette she needed to use and the precautions she needed to take before she let _anyone_ within thirty feet of the speakeasy. There were names and faces blacklisted that she had to memorize and every time she answered wrong when he quizzed her, she received a lecture on the importance of accuracy. She felt on the verge of tears until Marluxia told her it would be alright for her to retire for the night. Now she was ready to climb into bed and go to sleep when she heard the door behind her open. She froze, still practically in the nude, and turned her gaze to see who had entered her room.

"I'm sorry I didn't knock." Demyx smiled and turned the lock on the bedroom door quickly. "I didn't want to alert anyone who might be up here that you weren't alone."

Larxene scoffed and pulled up a blanket to cover her body. "And what, you though you'd sneak up here and get a peek at my unmentionables?"

"Not exactly." Demyx stepped closer to Larxene and smiled warmly. "It has been so long since we have been alone like this."

Larxene scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Only three weeks. Not long enough if you ask me. I'm still mad at you."

"Darling, you can't be serious." Demyx reached out and grasped Larxene's hand, bringing it to his lips. "I can't apologize enough for keeping you in the dark. But you see now how important it was, don't you? These people are dangerous criminals! They murdered a man and woman and took their home and it doesn't raise one ounce of suspicion!" He brought a hand to her cheek as she turned her head away from him and forced her to meet his gaze. "You can't really still be mad at me."

Larxene looked up into Demyx's eyes and scowled. Damn him, already that handsome face of his was working its magic on her. "Demyx, it doesn't matter what reason you had for lying. The fact is that you lied. How can I trust you?"

"How can you trust me!? Larxene! Look at who you're talking to! This is the boy that played with you all throughout your childhood. This is the boy who got down on one knee when he was ten years old and proposed to you with a piece of costume jewelry!" Demyx cupped Larxene's face in his hands and kept her eyes locked on his. "This is the boy who would've moved Heaven and Earth if you so willed it. And I haven't changed… I would still move Heaven and Earth for you. Larxene, I love you. That is one thing you can trust in."

Larxene sighed and shook her head. She had to stay strong. No matter how handsome and charming he was, she was mad. Right? "D-demyx, you can't just barge in here and say a few romantic things and expect me to just forgive you!"

"Can't I?" Demyx laughed softly and pressed his lips against Larxene's. He waited for her to react, and after a moment she raised her arms to wrap around his neck. He eased her back gently onto the bed and ran his fingers through her hair. "I love you."

--

_I realize I'm treading dangerous territory here. On one hand, there's Luxord. Regardless of how I view him, he sees himself as my husband and that isn't going to change. He's already made it very clear how he feels about being humiliated through means of adultery. If he were to find out…_

_I'd rather not think about it, actually. It isn't as though I feel guilty. Why should I? He hid something from me and tricked me into marriage! I shouldn't feel guilt for my minor indiscretions. After all, Demyx loved me first._

_And then of course there's Marluxia I have to worry about. I'm not sure what illusions he may have, if any, but there's no telling what goes on in the mind of a criminal. Especially one capable of murder. There was already a close call with him just earlier this same evening…_

--

"I wish I could stay." Demyx sighed and laced his fingers with Larxene's. "I wonder if I'll ever be able to wake up next to you and see that beautiful face of yours."

Larxene looked at her hand entwined with Demyx's and stared at it in thought. She was torn between just letting down her walls and letting Demyx in or pushing him away again and keeping her heart protected. She quickly opted for the latter and rolled her eyes. "I'm sure waking up next to me isn't all that great. I'm a mess in the morning anyhow."

Demyx chuckled and pulled her hand against his lips to kiss it. "But I love you no matter how you look, darling. In fact I think that would be the most beautiful sight I could ever lay my eyes upon." He inhaled deeply and leaned closer to Larxene, kissing her gently on the lips. "Maybe one day…"

And then came a knock at the door. Larxene froze and stared at Demyx with wide eyes. Her heart instantly went into overdrive and she cleared her throat. There was no point in pretending to be asleep because the lamp was still on, likely shining its warm yellow glow under the crack of the door. "Wh-who is it?"

Marluxia turned the doorknob slowly but the door wouldn't open. Locked. He grumbled under his breath and cooed through the wood of the door. "Me, sweet. Marluxia."

"That rat bastard." Demyx hissed through clenched teeth. "What does he want?"

"I don't know but you need to hide." Larxene scowled at Demyx and motioned under the bed. She quickly grabbed up her robe and pulled it on over her body. "I'll be there in a moment!" She turned back to Demyx and watched with irritation as he gathered up his clothes and slid slowly under the bed with no sense of urgency whatsoever. As soon as he was safely out of sight she pulled the door to her bedroom open and forced a smile. "Marluxia, hello. You needed something?"

"Not at all, sweet." Marluxia smiled and glanced past Larxene into her room. "I was just passing by and I could have swore I heard voices."

"Voices?" Larxene's heart dropped into her stomach and she could practically feel as her face paled. "Y-you heard voices? But that's just not possible. I'm all alone."

Marluxia continued to peer into the room before giving up and turning his gaze back to Larxene. "As I can see, but I have very good ears."

"Oh? O-oh! You know…" Larxene forced a girlish giggle and shook her head. "It completely slipped my mind! The voices from the basement have been traveling up through the heating system in the floor. I've been hearing them off and on all evening. Now that I think about it, that _must_ have been what you heard."

Marluxia watched Larxene curiously a moment before nodding slowly. "Yes, that must be it. I'll be sure to tell them to keep it down. I didn't realize they were keeping you awake. I'm terribly sorry. I assure you, we will have a more modern heating system installed soon." He smiled and captured Larxene's chin between his thumb and index finger and caressed just below her bottom lip gently. "Is there anything else I can do for you, my sweet?"

"No." Larxene forced a smile and shook her head, freeing her chin of Marluxia's grasp. "I was just getting ready to turn in for the night."

"Ah, I see." Marluxia reached out to capture Larxene's hand delicately. "Well, if there is anything you need at any time, let me know. The situation in which you find yourself now is unfortunate but I'm striving to make it as pleasant of an experience for you as possible. I hope you understand that." He brought Larxene's hand to his lips and smiled.

Larxene blushed lightly and pulled her hand from Marluxia's. Damn these forward men, damn them all to hell. "I do understand. Thank you. If you'll excuse me now, I should be trying to get some sleep."

"Of course." Marluxia bowed to Larxene. "Sleep well, sweet."

"Yes, you too." Larxene closed the door quickly and pressed her back against it. _"I need a drink."_ She started over to the bed and knelt down to peer underneath. "You can leave now."

Demyx poked his head out from under the bed and pressed his lips to Larxene's quickly. "Can't I just stay here?"

"No!" Larxene growled and yanked Demyx out from under the bed. "Out!"

"Alright, alright." Demyx stood slowly and began redressing. "You know, I could just as easily play the role of Mr. Gabbiani."

"Demyx, don't start." Larxene grumbled and crossed her arms. "This was already a mistake, I can tell."

"Ah, don't say that." Demyx smiled softly and stood after putting on his shoes. He kissed Larxene and nuzzled her neck gently. "It doesn't feel like a mistake to me."

"Enough! Go now!" Larxene tapped her foot in irritation and pointed toward the door.

"Alright. Goodnight darling." Demyx pressed his lips to her cheek and exited the room quietly. He started toward the front of the mansion but stopped as he heard footsteps approaching from behind him.

"Well, aren't you treading some dangerous territory?" Marluxia stepped up behind Demyx with a smile on his face.

Demyx turned to face Marluxia with a bright smile. "You were waiting to see if anybody came out of her room."

Marluxia cocked his head to the side in curiosity. "If you were going to admit it so quickly, why even bother hiding in the first place?"

"I don't care who knows." Demyx shrugged. "Larxene on the other hand, she needs a bit more convincing."

"Ah, I see." Marluxia nodded slowly. "And you're not afraid of what her husband might do to you?"

Demyx narrowed his eyes at the mention of Luxord. "She doesn't love him. She loves _me_."

"And yet she married _him_." Marluxia cocked an eyebrow and crossed his arms. "A farce?"

Demyx mimicked Marluxia's pose and scowled. "A farce. Surely you see it too, or you wouldn't be pursuing her so persistently as you have been."

Marluxia smirked. "But therein lies the difference between you and I… I have no qualms about killing a man."

Demyx raised an eyebrow and smiled. "And you think I do?"


	14. Purely Accidental

OH DEAR LORD I'M HAVING A ROUGH DAY!

Apparently I managed to muck up posting those three chapters earlier, so they were repeat chapters for a while. It is all fixed now.

BAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

Thanks to Team Braco for letting me know, I wouldn't have ever noticed.

So I decided to post ANOTHER chapter to let you all know that the errors should be fixed now.

AND, now we get to see more of Luxord, and we will for a while. I know it seems like he hasn't been a very important character thus far, (and really, he hasn't) because mostly everything has been seen through Larxene's eyes. But that's about to change starting with this chapter!

I was having a really hard time developing Luxord's character. I wanted him to be this really smart guy in an almost eccentric way. I wanted him to be very cultured yet still down to earth, which is a hard line to walk by the way. I hope I've managed to pull that off. He's certainly eccentric, and you'll see what I mean in this chapter. We still have a lot more to delve into as far as Luxord's past is concerned. His is certainly the more interesting of our two heroes.

Be prepared for that very soon. And BIG HAPPENINGS at the end of this chapter. Oh yes.

Uh, a few French words (but we use them in English just the same)

_Nouveau Riche_ - Newly Rich or "New Money"  
_Parvenus_ - Another term for "New Money"

I think that's it. Enjoy!

* * *

Luxord awoke as morning broke through his window. It was uncharacteristically bright for the weather they'd been having lately, but fitting regardless. He hopped out of bed in excitement. Today was the day, he'd decided, that he would try to win Larxene back. Or, win her over to begin with. He had it all planned. Before the others could arrive to begin work on the speakeasy, he'd wake her sweetly with a kiss on her forehead and present her with a gift, a necklace that had once belonged to his mother. Then he would tell her just how much he loved her and how special she was to him and if all worked well, he'd kiss her and perhaps they'd make love. At least, that was how it worked in his mind. He dressed quickly and pulled open the top drawer of the armoire where he kept the few pieces of jewelry in his possession. He pulled out a golden chain with a cameo locket dangling beautifully in the light and tucked it into his palm before starting out into the hall eagerly. But as he approached Larxene's room he spotted Naminé exiting with Larxene close behind. So much for waking her with a gentle kiss… "Ah, ladies, good morning!"

Larxene scoffed and glared at Luxord. "What's so good about it?"

"Well, the weather is nice." Luxord smiled and shrugged. "Larxene, could I have a moment?"

"I'm afraid there's no time for that." Marluxia smiled as he topped the stairs and quickly took up Larxene's arm in his own. "There is much to be done. Today we shall finish work on the speakeasy. Larxene still has some work to do with Zexion and you and Axel will be busy putting up wallpaper."

Luxord scowled and crossed his arms. "It will only take a moment."

"It is not a matter up for debate." Marluxia narrowed his gaze on Luxord and grinned. "If you'll excuse us now, I'll be escorting Miss Larxene to see Zexion. Nami, will you see to it that Mister Luxord finds his way to the cellar at _some point_ today?"

Luxord huffed and watched Marluxia quickly lead Larxene away. He then turned his eyes to Naminé and growled. "That man infuriates me."

Naminé smiled sweetly. "Please remember, I _am_ a member of his group. Do watch what you say, Mister Luxord."

"Yes, I know. And I can scarcely believe it." Luxord sighed. "You were always so sweet Naminé. Now you're waltzing around here with a gun strapped to your thigh. Larxene hates me again. Everything is completely topsy turvy and I just want an ounce of the normality that we had back in New Orleans!"

Naminé laughed softly and shook her head. "That normalcy is gone now, Mister Luxord. You have to accept the predicament in which you find yourself and move on. _This_ is the new normalcy. You're criminals now, like it or not. And you should be grateful things aren't worse off. You just have to find a way to be content with this new life. Even Miss Larxene is starting to adjust, and Mister Demyx as well. They've accepted their roles here, have you?"

Luxord stared down at Naminé quietly a moment before furrowing his brow in thought. "_My_ role? Am I no longer Paris?"

Naminé tilted her head to the side and looked to Luxord in question. "Pardon?"

"Or perhaps…" Luxord stared down at the ground, his mind a million miles away now. "Perhaps this is no longer Romeo and Juliet. But what then?"

"Mister Luxord?" Naminé looked up at the blond British man in confusion. The more she got to know him, the more bizarre he seemed. "What are you talking about?"

"Nothing, dear heart." Luxord shook his thoughts and forced a smile. "Nothing at all."

Naminé nodded slowly before forcing a smile of her own. "I see. Well, let's get down to the cellar and finish up the speakeasy."

"Right." Luxord followed Naminé down the stairs to the cellar where the usual faces were already hard at work. Lexaeus and Demyx were busy polishing the bar and Axel and Roxas had well over half the massive room covered in wallpaper. He joined up by Axel's side and picked up a brush, painting the walls with paste so that he could apply the wallpaper. His mind was spinning on his conversation with Naminé and it helped to make the work pass by fast. He thought long about this situation, trying to find what Shakespeare play to best compare it to so that he could determine just what role he was meant to play. He had a hard time thinking about things without something to reference it to, and Shakespeare had always been his favorite thanks to his mother.

Before too long, the day had passed. He had finished up the wallpaper as the others began bringing in stools for the bar and tables and chairs for the rest of the area. Once all was done the group retreated back upstairs for a celebratory dinner but Luxord didn't feel much like celebrating. He still couldn't place this scenario and it was starting to irritate him. At least when this was Romeo and Juliet, well, at least then he knew where he stood. But now he felt terribly lost. He was an extra at best. How horrible! He sat through dinner in silence and finally retreated upstairs when the others began to leave. He reached the top of the stairs and started to his room but stopped as he heard giggling coming from Larxene's room. He turned himself in that direction and pressed his ear to the door to listen.

Naminé laughed lightly and leaned on her arms for support where she laid on the floor. "And that's how I convinced Marly to send me to work for you and your father…"

Larxene chuckled and plopped down on her bed with a heavy sigh. "Wow, you're really tough Nami. And hearing you talk about Marluxia like that, well, it almost makes him seem human."

Naminé giggled and shrugged. "He wasn't always so cold and calculating. But prohibition has changed a lot of people. You know, he was going to school to become a lawyer before all this happened. But then a greater opportunity presented itself and here we all are. Money is what drives the world and it brought us all together here. For better or worse, this is how it is."

Larxene nodded. "Yeah. I'm not too crazy about it but I'm starting to accept it. You know, it isn't so horrible. I'm actually looking forward to running the speakeasy. Rubbing elbows with old money and nouveau riche alike is something I'm accustomed to so it won't be hard."

"Just like the old days, right? With your mother and father dragging you to all sorts of parties. Only instead of your mother you have Zexion and instead of your father you have Marluxia." Naminé laughed before letting out a heavy sigh. "I've never once been to a ball or party like that. It must've been wonderful."

"It was incredibly boring. You would've hated it. Not to say I wasn't good at it. It seems like lying and being deceitful is the _only_ thing I'm good at. So I used it to my advantage and charmed my parent's peers into adoration. We were parvenus but you would have never known it the way I worked those arrogant bastards. As far as they knew, we'd inherited the distillery through generations and all the money along with it and they adored us." Larxene sighed. "And look where it all got me. Here, practically alone"

"Oh come now, it isn't that bad." Naminé smiled. "You've got Demyx here."

Larxene snorted and rolled her eyes. "Demyx is an annoyance. He always has been…"

"Well, Marluxia is fond of you." Naminé batted her eyelashes and smiled knowingly. "I'm sure with a little _give_ on your part, you could be completely in his good graces. You wouldn't want for a thing."

"That man terrifies me." Larxene shivered at the thought and shook her head. "No. _You're_ the only one I really have, Naminé."

Naminé cocked an eyebrow and smiled. "What about Luxord?"

Larxene crossed her arms and scoffed. "What _about_ Luxord? That man has been a nuisance in my life since I'd learned of his existence!"

"Funny." Naminé put a finger to her lips to imitate thought. "I seem to recall you getting _awfully_ familiar with him just a few short weeks ago."

"A fluke, that's all." Larxene shook her head. "Of course, that was before I realized his deceit. He never really loved me, Nami. He _used_ me like I used him. And I suppose I got what I deserved. This is God's sick way of punishing me."

"Then why do you still wear the ring he gave you?" Naminé sat up from where she lay on the floor and looked at Larxene seriously. "And why do you look on the verge of tears right now?"

Larxene grumbled and scowled. "I do not!"

Naminé nodded quickly. "Yes you do. Admit it Larxene! You were falling for him hard and just when you thought everything was perfect, you realized it wasn't and it cut you deep. You thought he loved you and when you realized he didn't, it hurt you. You can put on your callous façade all you want but I can see right through you. I've always been able to. Luxord hurt you, and now you're trying to punish him by making him feel as though he hasn't a friend in the world. And it is working well. The poor man was in shambles today, babbling about Paris or something. But who are you _really_ punishing here Larxene? Luxord, or yourself? Because I can see the look of sadness on your face every time he's around, right before you paint over it with a hateful glower."

Larxene opened her mouth to protest but stopped as she heard a knock on the door. She turned her eyes in the direction and growled. "Come in!"

Luxord opened the door slowly and peeked his head inside. He forced a smile and looked to Larxene hopefully. "May I come in?"

Naminé stood quickly and grinned, answering for Larxene before the older girl could discard Luxord altogether. "I was just leaving. Larxene would love to see you, I'm sure."

Luxord watched as Naminé exited the room before starting toward Larxene slowly. "I'm sorry, but I was eavesdropping. I overheard…"

"Nothing." Larxene glared at Luxord in fury. "You overheard nothing but a meddling young girl's foolish thoughts."

Luxord sat on the edge of the bed and reached out a hand to touch Larxene's but before their skin could make contact she tore her hand from his reach. He sighed sadly and shook his head. "She's right, you know."

Larxene narrowed her eyes to slits and stared hard at her husband. "Right about _what_ exactly?"

"I've been in shambles. Naminé said something to me today that made me realize, this is no longer Romeo and Juliet. I'm no longer Paris. And at least when I was Paris, I wasn't exactly in your good graces but things were far better off then than they are now. You scarcely speak to me! I don't know my role anymore." Luxord stared down at the floor in thought. "I don't even know what story to compare this to. I had made such good progress! I was well on my way to becoming your Romeo but now you're no longer Juliet. So what good does it do me now to have worked so hard to make you love me!?"

Larxene watched Luxord in silence a moment before cocking an eyebrow. "Are you out of your mind? What are you going on about?"

Luxord sighed and shook his head. "I… I do this thing. I've always had a hard time coping with certain things. Romance, family, things like that. But when I was young, my mother always used to tell me that if there was a course of action that I needed to take but didn't know how, to just compare myself to a character from a story who was in my same situation. I could look at what they'd done, know the outcome, and decide if that was the course of action I wanted to take. But I never had much confidence so even if I knew the action I would take would lead to sorrow, I still took it because I didn't have faith in my ability to choose the proper action by myself."

Larxene blinked at Luxord before scoffing and throwing her arms in the air. "That's the most idiotic thing I've ever heard of!"

"Isn't it?" Luxord chuckled to himself. "For so long I compared my life to play after play. Whatever situation I was in, I made sure I had a point of reference for it. Shakespeare had always been my favorite, because that was my mother's favorite, so most of the time I used his plays as advice on what I should do next. Absolutely ridiculous, right? But it has worked for me so far. Only now, now I can't think of a single piece of literature to compare this situation to. I don't know how to act. I got an idea in my head of how to make this right, but it backfired on me before I could even set it in motion. The _first_ original thought I got in my bloody brain and already, fate decided I wasn't meant to think for myself."

"You're out of your mind, you know that? I thought you were strange before with your constant need for attention and always comparing me to Juliet, but this just takes the cake Luxord! You're very, very bizarre." Larxene couldn't fight the chuckle rising in her throat. "So, you didn't really marry me because that's what your father told you to do. You married me because that's what _Shakespeare_ told you to do!"

Luxord crossed his arms and grumbled. "Oh yes, by all means, make fun of the man pouring his heart out to you."

Larxene snorted and nodded. "No, please. Go on, I'm interested."

Luxord huffed and dug a hand into the pocket in his trousers where he'd placed his mother's necklace earlier. He pulled it out slowly and stared down at it. "You know, you infuriate me. You infuriate me and yet, I adore you. How is that!? For the first time I started making decisions on my own. It was back in New Orleans with you. Sure, I compared us to Juliet and Paris, but I was striving to change that role instead of following it. I wanted so badly to be your Romeo. I thought I was so close, and then all this happened. You hate me for the very thing I forgave you for and still nothing I can do will change that." He clenched his fist around the necklace and seethed angrily. "I was going to come in here this morning and kiss you and tell you just how much I really love you and give you this gift but to hell with you Larxene! I don't know why I even bother!"

Larxene felt a strange pang in her chest. Could it be guilt, hurt, sadness? No, certainly not any of those things. She furrowed her brow and crossed her arms. "What gift could _you_ possibly give me? What, another piece of your mother's tacky jewelry?"

And then it happened. It happened so quickly that it was over before Luxord could even register to stop himself. He slapped Larxene hard across her face. The sound echoed in his ears as he realized just what he'd done. They stared at each other wide eyed, Luxord's hand now throbbing. He stood quickly and backed away from her, guilt flooding him almost instantly. "I… I'm so sorry." He watched her as he backed toward the door. He expected her to get up and attack him, and if she did, he'd accept it. He deserved it. But she only stared at him in shock. He opened the door slowly and looked back at her one last time. "I'm so sorry…"


	15. I Didn't Know

Bah, so tired today! Of course, that's my own fault. I did it so that I would fall asleep at a decent time tonight so that I'll be ready to wake up bright and early at 3:30 AM tomorrow to drive my happy ass down to Anaheim! Woo hoo!

So yeah… LAST CHAPTER! Larxene got smacked lyke whoa. But she deserved it, and you find out why. Of course, in typical fashion, nothing will be stated outright quite yet. You've got to read between the lines like Larxene had to. And man, does she feel like an ass when she realizes… HA HA!

This chapter is short. Sorry about that, but I'm not quite ready to upload another chapter to accompany it yet.

**ALSO! OOOOOH MAI GAWD GAIS! So, if you haven't noticed the poll on the top of my profile, please go give it a good look.**

I'm getting prepared to write an epic crossover to end all crossovers… And I need _your_ help deciding on what fandoms I should include. I have a ridiculous number of fandoms and so I need you to help narrow it down with fandoms YOU want to see in this story. There'll be a little bit of everything for everybody in there. I already have a ton of universes that I'm including and of course at the heart of it all is Kingdom Hearts because they make it so wonderfully possible.

There is one thing, however. While you do have the option to suggest any fandom, I _do_ need to _like it_ and _know enough about it_ to write it. So that means: No, I won't do Naruto or Bleach (I hate them both) and I don't know shit about D. Gray-man and don't even mention One Piece (of crap) to me. And of course, it doesn't have to be all anime/manga/Japanese related. I do love a lot of different things from many different countries.

That's all. I hope you partake in the poll, even if you don't plan on reading!

Now enjoy this chapter!

* * *

Luxord sat in his room on the edge of his bed. No matter what he did, he felt more and more terrible as the minutes ticked by. Three hours had passed since he'd slapped Larxene and his hand was still buzzing with the memory. The necklace dangled from his other hand, and all he'd been able to do was look back and forth between the necklace and his vile, woman harming appendage. He felt on the verge of tears but he couldn't cry. Perhaps this was the best thing that could have happened. Perhaps Larxene would tell Marluxia what had happened and he'd come and kill Luxord and everybody else could live happily ever after. Then came a knock at the door and he was certain this would be it. He sighed heavily. "Come in."

Larxene opened the door slowly and stepped inside. "I wasn't sure if you were awake, but then I saw the light on…"

Luxord looked up at Larxene, half shocked to see her there. But then again, letting someone else kill him for what he'd done to her didn't seem like Larxene's style. She'd come to finish him off herself. He turned his eyes back to the necklace and let out a shuddering breath. Well, if he was going to go…

"Is that the gift you were going to give me?" Larxene walked hesitantly toward the bed and took a seat beside Luxord. She looked down at the necklace and forced a smile. "Its beautiful." She turned her gaze up to Luxord's face, but he didn't respond. He only stared down at the necklace, practically emotionless. "I'm sorry for what I said. I didn't mean it. And I'm sorry I didn't realize sooner. There were so many clues…" Larxene let out a heavy sigh and placed her hand on Luxord's. "I feel so stupid. That night I heard you crying and your reactions when someone calls you a bastard or a son of a…" She bit her bottom lip as his eyes darted to her, full of an emotion she couldn't quite place. "And then I started thinking, if you had all this jewelry of your mother's and you were that poor, why didn't you sell any of it? And then it hit me and I felt so horrible." She gripped his hand tightly and stared at him. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Would it have made a difference?" Luxord turned to look at Larxene sadly before looking away again. "Telling you would have changed nothing."

"Luxord, I would have never doubted how you feel for me had I known… I mean, you gave me your mother's ring! Something that is so important to you, and you trusted me with it." Larxene looked down at the ring on her finger and smiled. "And it is so lovely. I adore it." She looked back to Luxord and pressed her hand to his face, forcing him to meet her gaze. "I'm sorry, for everything I've said and done. I deserved being slapped. I was being so inconsiderate and cruel while you were being so thoughtful and sincere." She wrapped her arms around Luxord's neck and pressed her lips to his.

Luxord was caught off guard when Larxene kissed him and he was hesitant to kiss her back. But after a moment he parted his lips and let himself kiss her gently. He felt her pull away slowly and he couldn't help but smile. "Alright, I've played along thus far. Now tell me, who are you and what've you done with Larxene?"

Larxene grinned and laughed. "Oh don't you worry, I'm still me. I'm pissed that you had the audacity to slap me. I mean, really, how dare you! But…" She ran her hand along Luxord's jaw line and sighed. "Well, I understand why you did. I deserved it. And I'm sorry."

"I didn't mean to, dear." Luxord cupped Larxene's face in his hands and looked to her sadly. "Please understand that. I would never hurt you on purpose. My hand flew before I even knew what was happening. I felt so utterly terrible. I'm so sorry. I…"

"Just don't do it again." Larxene smiled and stood slowly. "If you do it again, I'll have to kill you."

"Understood." Luxord returned Larxene's smile and stood with her. He grasped her hands and pulled her close against him. "I adore you and cherish you, Larxene. I love you."

"I know." Larxene winked and stood on tip toe to press her mouth against Luxord's ear. "And you know, I think I'm pretty fond of you too." She kissed his cheek softly and pulled away. "Well, I'll let you sleep now."

"Wait!" Luxord grabbed Larxene's hand in his and looked at her hopefully. "Stay?"

Larxene looked from Luxord to the door and back again. "And risk letting the others know that I don't completely hate you?" She smiled and shrugged. "I don't know. What are you going to do to make it worth it?"

"Well…" Luxord smiled and unlatched the gold chain on the necklace, placing it around her neck to latch it back. "I suppose now that I've given you this, all I can offer is to hold you in my arms and tell you how beautiful and wonderful you are."

"I suppose falling asleep in your arms is acceptable. After all, it has been a while." Larxene stepped slowly toward the bed with a grin. "I've missed it."

Luxord smiled widely as Larxene laid down on the bed. He climbed on beside her and nestled down under the sheets. Without hesitation he grabbed Larxene and pulled her against him, wrapping her tightly but gently in his embrace. He inhaled deeply the scent of her, a smell he hadn't enjoyed in quite a while. "Good night, love."


	16. Paris or Romeo?

Wow, sorry guys. I TOTALLY missed my regular Friday update.

I've got a lot of real life shit that's been going on so my brain's been really frazzled. On the plus side though, I'm back to full time at work again. Rejoice! (Even though that might be a bad thing for you guys since it means I'll have less time to write.)

Anyway, last chapter… Larxene felt like an ASS. And she _should_, because Luxord loved his mum and here she was talking rudely about her taste in jewelry. But now that she realizes just how important she is to Luxord for him to give her these pieces of jewelry that he holds so dear, will it change her disposition a whole lot? Well, we can hope, but don't hold your breath.

I really want to hug the crap out of Lux.

Anyhow, enjoy this chapter!

And don't forget to vote in the poll if you haven't yet! PLEASE!

* * *

Luxord awoke to an empty bed. He shouldn't be surprised. He shouldn't be hurt. But damn it all, he was. He groaned and rolled over onto his stomach. This was not how he wanted to wake up. He was about ready to go back to sleep and try waking up once more but he suddenly felt something heavy drop onto his back.

"Oh good! You're awake." Larxene yawned loudly and rested her head between Luxord's shoulder blades. "You know, you snore awfully loud."

Luxord was startled to hear Larxene's voice. He tried to roll over to look at her but it only resulted in her falling to the floor with a shriek. He looked down at her in awe. "Y-you're still in here!"

"Of course I'm still here." Larxene grumbled and stood up slowly. "And how do you thank me? By knocking me on the floor."

"I'm sorry." Luxord climbed out of bed and pulled Larxene into his embrace. "I half expected you to be back in your room."

Larxene let her head rest against Luxord's chest as he hugged her. "I said I'd stay."

"I know. But the others… I figured you'd care." Luxord smiled and ran his fingers through Larxene's hair. Maybe last night had really changed everything. Maybe realizing how much he truly cared for her had caused Larxene to mature and blossom into a compassionate and sensible young woman. Or maybe that was too much to hope for. His face fell as he remembered a conversation he'd had with Axel the previous day. They wouldn't be working on the speakeasy any longer. As of yesterday, it was finished. Nobody was coming to the mansion today. "We're completely alone in the house, aren't we?"

"Uhg! Yes and I'm starving! Naminé normally cooks breakfast but she's not here either." Larxene pouted and ran her hand up and down Luxord's chest. "I'd cook for myself but I… well, I don't know how."

Luxord burst into laughter and ruffled Larxene's hair. "Your father married you off without even the slightest knowledge of how to prepare a meal for your husband!?"

Larxene huffed and crossed her arms. "Well it isn't like we planned on me needing the knowledge! I thought I was marrying somebody who was _rich_, remember? I figured I'd have servants to do this for me."

"You spoilt brat!" Luxord chuckled and sighed. "Alright, come downstairs and I'll show you how to cook, but _you're _doing it. I'm only going to tell you what you need to do. I won't do it for you."

Larxene rolled her eyes and pulled her robe on over her body. She followed Luxord out the door and down the stairs into the kitchen. She'd never set foot in a kitchen before, and she was intimidated to say the least. Everything looked so dangerous, and she was a fragile creature. "This is a bad idea. Let's just go out for breakfast."

"Nonsense. They might think we're trying to escape and have your father killed before we could even sit down at a table in a restaurant. Besides, I've been craving a Full English Breakfast since I came to this God forsaken country and now I have the chance to get it." Luxord pulled an apron off the hooks next to the back door and placed it around his neck. He then took another one and put it on Larxene, tying it for her. "See those tomatoes over there? Take a knife and cut them."

Larxene groaned and started over toward the tomatoes. She grabbed one up in her hand and examined it before walking over to the knife block and pulling out the longest one she could find. She put it to the tomato and tried to cut but it wasn't slicing with ease so she began to saw.

Luxord was digging through the cupboards in search of a skillet when he heard Larxene grunt in irritation. He turned his eyes to her and laughed softly when he saw she was trying to saw the tomato to pieces with a bread knife. "Oh, dear…"

Larxene turned her gaze to Luxord furiously. "What!?"

"Nothing, nothing. Only…" Luxord continued fishing for a skillet, finally reaching success. "you might do a bit better with a sharper, smaller knife."

Larxene scowled at the back of Luxord's head and sat the knife she'd been using aside. She then picked out a smaller knife and began cutting the tomatoes into as thin of slices as possible. She thought she was doing good until she heard Luxord chuckle again. She then turned to him with the knife pointed dangerously close to his face. "If you're going to stand around and laugh while I do this then you can cook your own damn breakfast!"

"I'm sorry. I don't mean to laugh." Luxord positioned himself behind Larxene and grabbed her hand to guide her cuts. "You're cutting the tomatoes too thin. We're going to fry them and if you cut them too thin they'll burn right away. Too thick is no good either." He guided her hand slowly to show her just how big she should cut the slices. "This is the perfect size."

Larxene blushed lightly and allowed Luxord to lead her. This was nice in a strange sort of way, with his arms around her and his chest pressed against her back. He had an odd sort of smell to him that was inviting and comfortable. It was the only thing in her new surroundings that really reminded her of home, even if it had only been a short time that it was actually there. She let her head fall back against his chest, hoping that he'd start to kiss on her. Then they could forget this stupid cooking and go have a different kind of meal.

"Are you paying attention?" Luxord looked down at Larxene curiously. "You can cut by yourself now, right?"

"Y-yeah." Larxene snapped back to attention and scowled. Damn food. She watched Luxord as he crossed the kitchen before continuing to cut on her own. "So… Did your mother teach you how to cook?"

Luxord paused and stared down at the floor before forcing a smile and nodding. "She was new money at the time she married my father so she'd grown up learning how to do things like normal people. She always used to say that all the money in the world was worthless if you couldn't take care of yourself like a real human being." He shook his head with a grimacing smile. "She taught me how to do everything. When I was twelve, I spent the whole summer in Ireland in the inn she used to work at learning to wash clothes and cook and sew and clean. She was there with me the whole time, constantly wracking my knuckles if I messed up even once on anything. She was so strict."

Larxene blinked at Luxord sadly. There was a distance in his eyes that she hadn't seen since that night she'd seen him crying. "She sounds... amazing."

"She was." Luxord sighed and swallowed down the lump growing in his throat. "Anyhow, forget all that nonsense. Stories for another time, and all that. Now, we'll have to make baked beans. And have you seen any lard about?"

"Bakes beans?" Larxene's face paled to a look of disgust. "You're going to eat baked beans and fried tomatoes for breakfast?"

"With fried bread, mushrooms, bacon and eggs." Luxord grinned widely. "And let's not forget black pudding."

Larxene looked to Luxord curiously. She'd been waiting to hear something sweet on this menu but she wasn't quite sure if this was the kind of something sweet she'd be interested in. "Black pudding?"

"Ah. Yes, they had it back in Louisiana. Flavored a bit differently though." Luxord furrowed his brow. "Oh, what was it called? B-boudon? No… Damn it all, what is it the French call it? The names are similar. Bourdi?"

Larxene felt her stomach churn as the realization of what he was trying to say came to mind. "Boudin rouge?"

"Ah! Yes, that's it!" Luxord smiled and nodded. "Its Cajun. Or is it Creole? No matter. You like it, right?"

"Its both, and no. I'm not too particularly fond of curdled pig's blood." Larxene leaned on the counter for support feeling suddenly very ill. "Please tell me there's something edible on this menu."

"All of it is edible, dear. Don't be silly." Luxord smiled as he finally found a tub of lard sitting out of sight. "Alright, let's get to frying now."

Larxene groaned, but then came a knock at the back door. She wondered who it could be, since the gangsters all had the key to the home. She watched curiously as Luxord pulled the door open slowly. And then she saw the most glorious thing in the world, a basket of breads and sweets walking through the door. And it was followed by a face. "Demyx! Oh, my life saver!"

Demyx grinned widely and sat the large basket on the counter. "You'll never believe what I found! There's a little bakery owned by a couple of blacks from back home and they made me beignets and bread pudding, special! I got a ton. I figured since Naminé wasn't going to be here, I'd bring you breakfast. I also got some croissants and blackberry preserve and… Oh yeah!" Demyx turned back toward the door. "The milkman came by already. The milk is on the back porch." He leaned out and picked up the case of milk, carting it in past a disgruntled looking Luxord.

Larxene smiled excitedly. "Demyx, I could kiss you! This all looks so amazing!"

"I wanted to surprise you. That's why I came around back. Naminé said the door was unlocked but I had my hands so full I couldn't twist the doorknob. And then I heard voices inside so I knocked with my foot." Demyx brushed past Luxord again in search of plates and silverware. "So I guess I didn't get to surprise you."

"Oh, no. I'm surprised!" Larxene stared down at the basket of bread and sweets happily. "This is so much better than what I was going to have!" She turned her gaze to Luxord and smiled. "Are you going to have some?"

Luxord looked to Larxene in disappointment before forcing a smile and shaking his head. "No. We've already started the preparations for a Full English Breakfast. I'll finish it. You just enjoy your sweets."

"Alright, if you say so." Larxene took a plate from Demyx's hand as he returned with them and began piling it high with all the different forms of bread from the basket.

Luxord watched sadly as Larxene disappeared into the dining room with Demyx trailing close behind. He pressed his ear to the closed door, listening to the laughter coming from the other side. No, this was _still_ Romeo and Juliet, only he…

He was neither Romeo, nor Paris.


	17. Speakeasy

OH GAWD YU GAIS! DIS CHAPTAH!

A lot of pretty heavy stuff goes down in this chapter via Demyx and his naughty meddling. And let me state now, what he does here does NOT have the approval of ANYBODY. Not even Marluxia. If Marluxia found out, he'd probably beat him to a bloody pulp. You just don't fuck with a mobster's bread and butter. You just don't. And of course, Demyx is childish and vindictive so he stupidly does whatever he pleases. Ah, rich people.

This chapter is fairly long compared to some of the pervious chapters, but not a whole lot goes on.

And for the record, I couldn't resist hinting that Naminé and Zexion are sorta doin it. Sorry if that bugs ya! ;)

Now, enjoy this chapter!

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"Are you ready?" Zexion stood before Larxene with crossed arms, tapping his foot impatiently. "Because we've got a lot of time and money invested in this and if you're not ready or you can't perform, your life is over. I'll end it personally."

Larxene narrowed her gaze on Zexion and countered his stance. "I can handle it. Just relax."

"Everyone will be here tonight to make sure it goes smoothly. But most importantly there's going to be a lot of rich families here. That is the whole point of this. We want to drain them of as much money as possible so you've got to be ready to manipulate them into drinking more. Buying more." Zexion stared hard at Larxene. "It is crucial."

Larxene scoffed. "Look, I know. We've gone over and over this. I'm ready."

Naminé shook her head as she approached from behind Zexion. "Not quite yet, you aren't. You need a change of clothes and makeup! You have to look perfect! Come on!"

Luxord watched as Naminé tugged Larxene off before turning his gaze to Zexion. He himself was already dressed in a suit and ready to do whatever he needed to do. "What is my task? We never actually discussed what I would have to do."

"You're a statue." Axel smirked as he stepped down the stairs into the speakeasy. "Your job is to sit there and look pretty. Not much else. Yeah, you can schmooze if you want, but the doll is the one we're bettin' on rakin' in the most dough for us. Zexy here has been groomin' our little Mrs. G to perfection. She'll be gettin' them rich bastards to hand over every penny they got. Not to mention little Nami in the hot number she'll be wearin' to sell cigs and stogies."

Luxord nodded slowly. "I see. So we're selling sex."

"Sex _appeal_." Marluxia grinned widely as he joined the group growing downstairs. "We'll never ask our ladies to use their bodies in such a deplorable way. Not for cash anyhow. There are far too many other ways to make money. Of course, gentlemen are the worst pigs. They'll stay in one place and keep drinking when there are pretty ladies around. But the girls do more than just offer visual stimuli for the men. They provide a comforting equal balance for the women who come with their husbands. Women trust other women above men, especially when buying something. They like to see other women in places they choose to frequent, and that will keep bringing them back."

"That makes sense." Luxord nodded slowly and made his way over to the bar to sit. "I don't suppose I get to drink for free?"

Marluxia chuckled. "Larxene asked the same thing. Of course we can't afford to have either one of you intoxicated, you understand. You'll be given one drink, so you'll have to nurse on it through the night."

Luxord groaned in disappointment. It had been so long since he'd had any alcohol that the thought of having to sip on one drink all night didn't even seem worth it. But he had little time to think on it before he felt a hand fall heavily on his shoulder, slapping down quite painfully. He grit his teeth and turned his eyes to the person. Only two people here would do that and he hoped it would be Axel, but no, it wasn't.

"Hey Lux! This is going to be some kind of fun, right?" Demyx grinned widely and shook the British man by his shoulder. "This is what we've been working so hard for."

Luxord grumbled under his breath and forced a smile at Demyx. "So I've been told."

"Oh, I've got a little surprise for you!" Demyx looked back at the group standing at the base of the stairs. "You didn't tell him yet, did you?" He looked back to Luxord. "They didn't tell you yet, did they?"

Luxord scowled and looked to Demyx. A sudden migraine was finding its way to his skull at the volume of Demyx's voice. "Tell me what?"

"Well, I know how much you like card games, and you're really good at them so…" Demyx pulled out a deck of cards and handed them to Luxord. "Tada!"

Luxord stared down at the cards calmly, unsure whether Demyx was trying to be insulting or genuinely trying to be kind. "A pack. Uhm, thank you."

"I figured you could play them on that fancy new table sitting over there." Demyx motioned to the area of the room furthest from the stage.

"What table?" Luxord turned his eyes to see where Demyx had motioned and saw a large table, only it was covered with a sheet. He hadn't noticed it before. He stood slowly and walked over to it. "When did this get put here?"

Demyx shrugged. "Maybe this morning while I was distracting you in the kitchen. Its an ugly thing, though. You probably wouldn't like it."

Luxord grabbed the sheet and yanked it. He stared in awe at what lay beneath, a beautiful cherry wood poker table with the most vibrant green baize surface he'd ever seen. His gaze flew to Demyx in questioning. "How? Why?"

"Profit." Marluxia smirked and stepped over to Luxord. "I was trying to think of a way to make more profit and Demyx suggested that nothing goes better with alcohol than the urge to gamble. He then proceeded to mention that you're a hell of a card player. So, here you go. We'll be getting some slot machines delivered soon as well. I plan to make a killing."

Luxord smiled gratefully at Demyx and Marluxia. "Thank you. I mean, I know its for the business but…" He turned his eyes back to the table in ecstasy. It was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. He ran his fingers along the cool wood in excitement. The baize had markings for blackjack, which was what he figured he'd have to play to gain them the most profit, at least at first. His inner child that used to take his classmates for every bit of money they had was jumping for joy. "I can't wait to start playing."

"You won't have to." Marluxia looked to the clock on the wall. "We open in ten minutes and I'm sure there will be quite a few gentlemen ready to gamble their money away. Demyx and I will play to get you warmed up. Everyone else, get prepared."

Luxord smirked to himself as he watched the others dissipate. How fitting, it seemed, that it should be him pitted against Demyx and Marluxia. The three of them vying for Larxene's affection and now they were sitting here ready to play cards. Yes, Marluxia was too wickedly smart for his own good, suggesting this. However, this was not a competition for Larxene's heart. This was a game of cards and in this element Luxord was entirely superior. "Alright, gentlemen. We'll start with what you Americans call blackjack." He opened the card deck and shuffled it quickly after removing the jokers and placing them aside. He then dealt the first three cards, face down, and followed by the remaining three, face up. He set the deck aside and looked down at the face up cards. Marluxia had a nine, Demyx an ace. He himself had a jack. The three of them simultaneously looked at their hole cards. He himself had a queen. Twenty.

Marluxia watched Luxord's face curiously but there wasn't so much as a twitch, positive or otherwise, that would give hint to the hand he held. He himself had a five to accompany his nine. Not a desirable hand in the least. He tapped the table to signify that he wanted another card. Demyx however, was holding. And then Luxord dealt him a card. It was an eight. Bust. He smiled at the British man and leaned on the table. "Well, if this were a game of money, what would you have bet?"

"A gentleman doesn't reveal such information if it isn't necessary." Luxord smiled back at Marluxia as he flipped over his card. "Bust." He flipped over his own card. "Twenty." He reached out and flipped over Demyx's card. A nine accompanied his ace. "Twenty. The game is a draw."

"Is it?" Marluxia smiled wickedly and narrowed his gaze on Luxord. "How very, _very_ interesting. You know, cards can tell you a lot about life."

Luxord returned Marluxia's glare. What was he getting at exactly? This was just a card game. Just the three of them against each other. And then it dawned upon him. Marluxia _was_ playing this as though it was still a competition for Larxene's heart and he'd busted. Demyx however… Demyx had tied with Luxord and Marluxia felt the need to comment on it. Was this a hint? His eyes flew to Demyx who only shrugged with a smile. He grit his teeth in anger but he had little time to actually feel the fury. He heard the door to the speakeasy open and the sound of women's heels coming down the stairs. All three men turned their attention to the stairs where Naminé and Larxene were making their way down. Luxord heard the other two men draw in sharp breaths much like himself as Larxene came into view.

Larxene blushed as the men's eyes fell on her. The look of awe on their face was flattering, but embarrassing. She huffed and crossed her arms over the beaded teal dress she wore. "Well, I didn't know this was a staring festival."

"Darling, you look stunning!" Demyx stood quickly and smiled as he started toward Larxene. "This style suits you much more than the fashions back home. And that hemline…" Demyx looked down at Larxene's legs which were exposed practically to the knee. "Well, short as it is, its lovely."

Marluxia smiled and quickly joined Demyx in praising Larxene's beauty. "Yes, you look positively radiant my sweet. Naminé, you did splendidly in choosing this for her. In a word, perfection. But, hmm…" Marluxia looked down at the necklace Larxene was wearing. It wasn't one of the pieces of jewelry that he'd purchased for her to wear and although the jewelry he'd purchased was for business purposes only, he felt a spike of jealousy within him. "What is this hideous _thing_?"

Luxord scowled as Marluxia snatched up the cameo necklace he'd given Larxene and examined it. At this point he was ready to jump over the table and pummel the gangster into the ground but Larxene spoke first.

"It is very dear to me and Naminé thought that it complimented the dress just fine. I'd like very much to wear it tonight, and every night." She smiled up at Marluxia sweetly, putting on her best baby doll act. "That will be alright, won't it?"

"Well, I suppose that if it means that much to you, you may." Marluxia smiled and released his hold on the necklace. "We'll just have to buy a wardrobe to accompany such an accessory. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get my boys in order. Demyx, do help Naminé with the cigars and cigarettes."

Luxord watched as Marluxia disappeared upstairs and Demyx and Naminé went off to collect what they needed. He then stood slowly and walked over to Larxene. "It really is a good thing you shut his mouth when you did. Otherwise I might have made a fool of myself. Then, of course, I'm always doing that."

Larxene grinned and shrugged. "Consider it one of your more charming qualities and it doesn't seem so bad."

"So…" Luxord inhaled deeply and looked down at Larxene. "The dress, it really brings out your eyes."

Larxene smiled and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Oh, you think so?"

"Yes." Luxord nodded slowly and reached out to grab Larxene's hand. "You know you look beautiful in anything."

"Why, Mister Luxord, if I didn't know any better I'd say you're blushing." Larxene laughed softly and stepped closer to Luxord. "You know, tonight is only going to last so long. After everyone clears out it will just be you and me again. Maybe we could share a bed again, if you promise not to snore."

Luxord nodded and swallowed hard. "Alright, but there's something I need to ask you first. A-about Demyx… Are you…"

"Larxene, sweet!" Marluxia hurried down the stairs and motioned to the girl. "Some of our esteemed guests have arrived. You should greet them. Luxord, you stay here to keep them entertained. Oh, and see to it that the band starts playing."

Luxord huffed as Larxene hurried up the stairs without a word. He stalked over to the stage area and stuck his head behind the curtain. His saw with anger the group of black musicians just standing around leisurely. "Get your caffer asses out here and start the music!"

"Whoa, relax." Demyx clasped Luxord on the shoulder and pulled his head from the curtain. "No need to be so hostile."

Luxord scowled and looked to Demyx. "Listen, mate. I don't know what shit you're trying to pull, but I'm not falling for it. You think you can be chummy with me to my face while you try and seduce my wife behind my back? The poker table was a purely strategic move on your behalf, and I commend you. It was clever. You've humbled me entirely for the sake of humiliation before Larxene. _"Oh, Demyx is so kind. Look what he did for you Luxord!"_ Is that what you're expecting? For her to fawn all over your generosity? And here I sit, and I have to pretend to be grateful because if I don't I look like a fool."

Demyx stared hard at Luxord before chuckling and shaking his head. "You're so high strung. If I was trying to impress Larxene and make her love me, there'd be far better and cheaper ways to do so than suckering up to you."

Luxord crossed his arms and growled. "Like bringing a basket of sweets for breakfast?"

Demyx scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Look, I may have suggested the table but who went out and bought it? Marluxia. He's the one flaunting his wealth and so called generosity. Don't you think you ought to be worried about _him_? I already told you, I'm not interested in Larxene. It was a silly schoolboy crush, but it passed. I'm on your side now Luxord. And trust me, taking out your frustrations on me is only going to alienate you from Lar. I'm her best friend, and I'm really all she's got anymore. Are you going to take that away from her?"

Luxord looked to Demyx in offense but he thought about what the boy was saying. Demyx was the only constant in Larxene's life that she had around anymore. Could he really remove Demyx from her life without hurting her? "Whatever, just keep your hands to yourself."

"No worries." Demyx smiled and patted Luxord's back. "I think I hear the guests arriving. You should go greet them, _Mr. Gabbiani_. I'll go get you a drink." He watched as Luxord sighed and started off toward the door before he walked over to the bar. He grabbed a glass and poured some whiskey in. When he was certain that nobody was looking, he pulled out a cigarette case and popped it open. Inside was cocaine that Marluxia had given him to _"take the edge off"_ but even never having been around the stuff before, Demyx knew of its highly addictive and often troubling side effects. He grabbed a pinch and put it in the drink, stirring it quickly and then adding ice. He then hurried over with the drink and handed it to Luxord. "Here you go, I couldn't remember if you like it on ice or not."

"Anyway is fine, really." Luxord took a quick sip and furrowed his brow. It tasted a bit off. "It tastes odd."

"Must be the ice." Demyx shrugged and motioned for the men and women now entering the mansion to make their way down to the speakeasy. "Better to pound it anyhow."

"I suppose." Luxord downed the drink and handed the glass back to Demyx. "Be a friend and get me another before Marluxia gets back."

Demyx scowled as Luxord shoved the glass in his hand but quickly forced a smile. "Sure, what are friends for?"

Luxord smiled at the group of bar patrons that mostly smelled like they'd already been drinking. He watched them make their way downstairs and Zexion quickly squeezed his way through them to get to the bar. The music was playing, lively and unfamiliar. It all seemed so surreal. And then Demyx returned with his drink. He brought it to his lips, it too tasted funny so he drank it down quickly.

Demyx grinned and took the glass back from Luxord. "Zexion doesn't know that I got you a drink, so I can get you another."

"Thanks, mate." Luxord put a hand on Demyx's shoulder, the warm wash of the alcohol in his empty stomach quickly taking effect. "You're a good man."

"Well, I try to be." Demyx retreated back to the bar where Zexion stood pouring drinks. He placed the glass down and smiled. "Well, I think Mr. Gabbiani is ready for his drink now."

Zexion eyed Demyx curiously. "And _you're_ getting it for him?"

"I figure I might as well do something useful. And one for me too, please" Demyx smiled as Zexion poured the whiskey in a fresh glass and then poured some into the glass with ice. "Thanks."

"This is the only one he gets, you know. Don't let him swindle you into getting him more." Zexion watched Demyx grab up the drinks and start off toward a dark corner. It was then that he felt Naminé join his side. "Something's amiss."

Naminé looked up at Zexion. "What do you mean? Everything's great!"

"I think Demyx is up to no good." Zexion followed the older man with his eyes and watched as he hurried up the stairs with the drinks in hand. "If he causes trouble for the business we'll have to off him."

"Ah, come on Zex. He's harmless. He's just another spoiled little rich kid that got suckered into this life. Just like you." Naminé smiled and pressed her lips to his cheek. "Just relax and let the night flow. Everything will go smoothly. You'll see."


	18. Three Little Words

SMUT! Smut in this chapter. Stop at "What is it with you and your distaste for foreplay?" and pick back up at "L-Larxene…" if you don't wanna read it.

So yeah, Luxord's trippin' balls on cocaine. I've never tried cocaine so I don't know how he would react, other than what I read in books (and when I say books I mean the informational kind) and on wikipedia. Shame on you Demyx! Shame on you for doing that to Luxy. Although, I'm sure what occurs in this chapter is NOT what he expected to happen. Ha ha, that's what you get Dem!

This is a short chapter. Not a lot happens. But next chapter there will be a whole lot of interesting developments/information so try to hold out for that if this one disappoints you.

Now, enjoy!

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Luxord pressed Larxene up against the back of his door. He couldn't get her undressed fast enough. His hands were far from steady as he pealed her dress off between kisses and playful touches. He was wound, which was odd, because he'd been awake for the past nineteen hours without stopping to rest. He'd spent all evening waiting impatiently for it to be over so that he could get to this point right here. Everything else seemed trivial now.

Larxene gasped as Luxord pressed his mouth over her nipple, teasing it before moving his mouth back up to hers, and then to her neck, collarbone, ear, everywhere. He was all over the place and uncharacteristically jittery. "Good Lord, let me breathe Luxord!"

"Is breathing _really_ that important?" Luxord chuckled and scooped Larxene up. He carried her swiftly to the bed and laid her down gently.

Larxene smiled up at Luxord. She was uncertain what had gotten into him, but as soon as the last person left the mansion he had her in his arms with his mouth anywhere on her body. She rather liked it. As he knelt over her she began unfastening the buttons on his shirt, eager to get it off. The thin white fabric was easily pushed away with his help and she began to kiss his chest and shoulders tauntingly. After all, why should he be the only one teasing? She grabbed his pants and toyed with the rim as his hands began roaming lower than her navel. "L-Luxord, I… I need you _now_."

"What is it with you and your distaste for foreplay?" Luxord chuckled and tugged his pants off quickly. He pulled Larxene close against him and forced his way in. He heard her gasp loudly and her walls refused to give way immediately. "Why do you do this to yourself each time?"

"I don't want to waste time." Larxene wrapped her arms around Luxord and clung to him tightly. The feeling of him grinding back and forth was slightly painful but she ignored it. It would feel all too good in just a short while. "Life's too short to play around."

"Mmm, I agree with that much." Luxord laughed and pulled Larxene's hips closer against his. She let out a low groan that caused his hands to twitch against her flesh. Already he felt on the verge of losing himself and he couldn't place why. Normally he was poised to keep himself in check but something had him out of sorts. He held Larxene in place and stared down at her with a light blush on his face. "Well, this is embarrassing. I need a second to compose myself."

"How very unlike you." Larxene smiled and pressed her lips against Luxord's jaw line. "I guess it can't be helped. I _am_ one hot little number."

"Indeed you are." Luxord snickered and nuzzled Larxene's cheek. He inhaled deeply and regained his composure. "Alright. I'm ready…"

"Hold on. I want to try something different." Larxene smiled and pushed Luxord to roll off of her and onto his back. She then moved to climb on top of him and lowered herself down over his needy appendage. She watched with interest as he gasped and his eyes rolled back in pleasure. She then began rolling her hips slowly and rhythmically against his. "How does that feel?"

"D-dear Lord." Luxord sat up and wrapped his arms around Larxene to pull her against him. "You keep that up and you'll destroy me."

Larxene laughed and licked a trail up Luxord's neck to his ear. "You say it like its a bad thing."

"Bad for you, not for me." Luxord smiled and kissed Larxene gently. "You don't want me to lose myself before you do, do you?"

"No. But I'm close enough to that point that it doesn't matter." Larxene grinned widely. "The only question now is, what are you going to do to get me there?"

"Oh, you snarky thing." Luxord chuckled and pushed Larxene to return to her back. He grabbed her hips and thrust deeply inside her until he felt that sweet pulsation deep within her enticing him to his own edge. He kissed her softly on the lips as he let his own orgasm come and subside. He lay there a moment staring down at her as they both gasped for breath. "L-Larxene…"

"Mmm?" Larxene blinked up her husband curiously.

"Nothing…" Luxord smiled and nuzzled her cheek with his nose. "I just love you."

Larxene closed her eyes and nodded happily. "I love you too."

Luxord froze at hearing this. This was the first time she'd ever used the word "love" in referring to him. At first he thought he might have heard wrong. But no, he couldn't have. "R-really?"

Larxene yawned and furrowed her brow. "Really what?"

"You said…" Luxord sucked in a quick breath. "You said you love me."

"I did?" Larxene thought back to only a moment earlier. "I did! Oh my God! I…" She looked up at Luxord with wide eyes. "I said that, didn't I?" She stared up at Luxord, his eyes bright and full of hope but also worry. She really couldn't take back what she said. Besides, it wasn't as though she didn't mean it. She _did_ care about him. And since she'd gotten to know him there was certainly something about him that was endearing. And just earlier she'd defended wearing a piece of jewelry he gave her as something dear to her. Even the bitch in her couldn't bring herself to hurt him. And then it hit her. She _did_. She really did love him. If she couldn't even force herself to push him away… "I… Luxord, I do. I love you very much."

Luxord smiled brightly and stood, yanking Larxene out of bed. "You have me so happy right now!" He pulled his wife against him and kissed her repeatedly on her forehead. "If I wasn't already married to you I'd get down on my hands and knees and beg for your hand! You're wonderful! You're amazing, dear! I adore you!"

Larxene giggled lightly as Luxord continued to kiss her forehead and praise her. "What in the world has gotten into you tonight?"

"I don't know. I feel so… I don't know! So wound up and _alive_! I feel amazing and just hearing those words from your lips…" Luxord laughed happily and continued to kiss Larxene's forehead. "I want to scream it from the rooftop! My wife _loves me_!"

"Don't scream it too loud. The neighbors are asleep." Larxene wrapped her arms around Luxord and yawned loudly. "Better yet, let's get some sleep ourselves. We have another long night ahead of us tomorrow."

"But I'm not even tired. I feel like I could conquer the world!" Luxord picked Larxene up and spun her around. "Come on! Let's conquer it together!"

"The only thing I want to conquer is some sleep on that pillow." Larxene managed to wiggle her way out of Luxord's arms and plop down onto the bed. She stared up at him a moment, his face pouting and eager to run amuck but she was far too tired for midnight mischief now. "Tomorrow, if you still feel up to it, we can stay up all night like we did back home. But for right now I can't force myself to stay awake any longer." She rolled onto her side and closed her eyes. "Goodnight."

Luxord sighed in disappointment and leaned down to kiss Larxene's cheek. "Goodnight, love."


	19. A Face at the Door

Alright guys… I am literally STUCK at work for the next 5 days. Like, I CAN NOT LEAVE.

Well, I can. But I can't come home.

I work at a daycare (for those of you who don't know) and my boss is going out of town. SO that means somebody has to be there to open the doors (at 5:30 a.m. uhg…) to watch kids and I will also be staying there to baby sit her two daughters (and then two others on Sunday). So I can't come home to upload multiple chapters so I will only have this chapter for you this weekend. I'm sorry. I really wanted to do more too, but the next chapter isn't quite ready yet.

So yeah… Won't be back home till Monday. Balls.

OMG, so anyway! Larxene realizes she's in love with Luxord now! FINALLY! She really started to fall for him back when they were in New Orleans but she kept pushing him away and telling herself she didn't. But she can't deny it anymore. She can't even bring herself to be an uber bitch to him. Ah, soooo romantic.

Oh, this chapter is just so full of stuff. We learn a bit more about Lar's childhood. We learn what exactly happened to Luxord's mum. We also learn why he's such a damn racist. Oh, and we get to see Naminé go nearly ape shit on a bitch. Nothing TOO spectacular.

But expect some major shit to hit the fan in the next chapter! Lyke whoa. I won't drop hints. It has to be a surprise. But it is something that has been a long time coming and I'm surprisingly excited about it.

Anyhow, enjoy!

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"Luxord!" Larxene stared in awe at the mess before her. There was unrolled dough on the counter and flour strewn all over the floor. Luxord himself was leaning against the wall on the other side of the mess with an armful of confectioner's sugar, some of it very clearly smudged on his lips. "Luxord, wake up!"

Luxord jumped as he heard Larxene shout. His eyes fluttered open to see her standing across the kitchen looking very confused. "Oh, I… I must've fallen asleep down here."

"Well that's a bit obvious, don't you think?" Larxene huffed and made an effort to step over all the powder on the ground. "What were you doing?"

"I…" Luxord groaned as he made an effort to stand. "I wanted to try making beignets for you. I guess I must've knocked over the flower at some point. All I really remember was sitting here eating this sugar."

Larxene chuckled and leaned down to kiss Luxord's lips. "You're sweet."

Luxord shrugged. "I only wanted to make you happy."

"No, I mean your lips. You've got sugar all over them and you taste really sweet." Larxene giggled and held her hand out to help Luxord up. "Come on, let's start getting this cleaned up before Naminé gets here and sees what you did."

"Alright." Luxord gripped Larxene's hand and let her help him up. He groaned and put the sugar on the counter so that he could grip the back of his neck. "I've got a terrible crick in my neck."

"You slept leaning against the wall, what do you expect?" Larxene smiled and walked over to where the broom and dust pan were leaning against the wall. These, she knew how to use. The knowledge came from years of disobedience at boarding school. She'd often receive punishment by being made to clean during dinner hours when she misbehaved. This was when she had her first real face to face encounters with blacks. A few black women and one black girl her age worked at the school and one of their tasks was to clean up. Being forced to work with the blacks was supposed to be punishment but after a while, Larxene grew to like the women and the songs they would sing while sweeping so she began to purposely act out to receive punishment. Because of this, she had learned to sweep. She smiled fondly thinking back on the memories. "I haven't held one of these in years…"

Luxord snickered softly. "Oh, you've held one? To beat poor Demyx over the head with?"

"Poor Demyx?" Larxene cocked an eyebrow before snorting lightly. "Since when did you ever feel any sympathy for him? And no, it wasn't for that purpose you smart ass. I'll have you know that I used to sweep up almost every evening at boarding school."

Luxord feigned a gasp. "What's that? Larxene getting in trouble? How unbelievable!"

"Ha ha, very funny." Larxene poked Luxord's stomach with the end of the broom before she began sweeping. "I used to get put on cleaning duty on purpose. Not the first time, of course. But after the first time I really enjoyed it."

Luxord grabbed up a damp rag from the sink and began to scrub the counters. "How could you enjoy a chore?"

"Well it wasn't the chore. It was the company. See, there were black servants at the boarding school. There were three women and one little girl. I didn't know any of their names, or really anything about them. They weren't allowed to talk to me. But they always sang and whistled while they were cleaning. They had the most beautiful voices. They used to sing these songs, I don't suppose you'd know them. They'd sing songs called _The Gospel Train_ and _Steal Away _but I always liked _Swing Low, Sweet Chariot_ the best. It was amazing and I loved to just listen while I swept." Larxene smiled sadly. "I miss them, even though they weren't exactly friends. It makes me sad."

Luxord huffed and rolled his eyes. "There is no reason to be sad over a couple of caffers. You're better off without them around."

"You sound just like my mother." Larxene laughed and shook her head. "One day I'll make you see it differently though."

"Nothing will change my opinion about those filthy little rats." Luxord growled under his breath. "They all deserve an early grave."

"What is your problem with them?" Larxene stopped sweeping and sat the broom aside. "What did blacks ever do to you?"

"They killed her!" Luxord roared. He stood staring at Larxene, her eyes wide and confused. He was angry at the thought but he knew he shouldn't have yelled at her. She didn't know. It wasn't her fault. "They're the reason for my mother's death."

Larxene looked to Luxord sadly and reached out toward him. "I'm so sorry. Will you tell me what happened?"

"I was thirteen. Father was away on business, probably here in the states with your father. He told me I was the man of the house while he was away and that I had to keep an eye on my mother. It was Christmas time so I was on holiday from school. It was late one night, two days before Christmas eve. There was knock at the door but the servants had all gone home so my mother went to answer it. There was a caffer at the door and he asked if my father was home. He said he had an important business letter he had to deliver directly into my father's hands. My mother explained that my father was abroad on business and apologized. She went to shut the door but he forced his way in and attacked my mother." Luxord grit his teeth and forced back the tears coming to his eyes. "I tried to defend her but I wasn't very strong. He tied us up and he made me watch as he…"

Larxene swallowed hard. "D-did he force himself on her?"

Luxord nodded slowly. "And then he just went upstairs like it wasn't a big deal, took whatever money he could find and left us tied up there. When the servants came back the next day my mother told them not to call the authorities. If they did, news would get around. She thought it would ruin my father's reputation and business so she kept it silent. After that my father found out about what happened. He said he didn't view my mother any differently but I could tell he did. He was disgusted by her for something that wasn't her fault. It took a toll on my mother. She couldn't stand it any longer. She took her own life. My father didn't even care…"

"I'm so sorry." Larxene stepped over to Luxord and wrapped her arms around him. "That's horrible. That should have never happened. But Luxord, that was only one case. Not all blacks are like that."

"It doesn't matter. I hate them. All of them. Immediately after it happened my mother fired all the caffer servants in the house. She just couldn't look at their skin color anymore and neither could I. It turned my stomach. I can only imagine how it made her feel." Luxord clung to Larxene but he wasn't on the verge of tears anymore. Just furious. "I hate them all. I look at them and I see his face and nothing changes that."

"I'm sorry. I understand so much better now." Larxene looked up at Luxord with sorrow. She felt wretched. She'd treated him so horribly in the past. She had no idea about everything he'd been through or how difficult it was for him to simply just be happy. "Luxord, I…" But before she could finish her sentence there was sound of the doorbell ringing. She sighed and pulled away from him slowly. "That's probably Demyx with breakfast." She started out of the kitchen and made her way to the front door. She pulled it open slowly. "Demyx, why didn't you just go around to…" She froze as she looked out the front door. It was not Demyx. It was a man she'd never seen before. He had a piercing gaze and clean suit that said he meant business. "M-may I help you?"

Saïx stared quietly at the woman standing before him in her robes. She was indecent, but it seemed that she'd quickly lost her modesty amongst the gangsters. He could feel a light blush rise to his cheeks so he cleared his throat to distract her attention away from it. "Mrs. Gabbiani?"

Larxene nodded nervously. "Y-yes sir?"

"I'm, uh…" Saïx cleared his throat again and turned his eyes from the woman. "W-would you like to get dressed before we speak?"

Larxene looked down at herself calmly. She was in a robe which was what she was normally parading around he home in. She'd gotten used to it although she realized not everybody was likely as accepting. "Oh, I suppose. What is this regarding, again?"

"I'm a neighbor." Saïx glanced back at Larxene before quickly looking away again. "I just wanted to meet you and your husband and welcome you to the neighborhood."

"Oh. I see." Larxene nodded slowly. "Just a moment and I'll…"

"Who's here, darling?" Demyx approached Larxene from behind with Luxord quickly in tail.

Saïx's gaze fell on Demyx curiously. "Mr. Gabbiani, I assume?"

"No, no." Demyx chuckled and held out a hand for the man at the door to shake. "Just a close friend of the Gabbiani family."

"I see." Saïx eyed Demyx suspiciously and turned his gaze to the approaching blond man behind him. "So _you_ must be Mr. Gabbiani."

Luxord looked warily at the man before him. He was not one of the approved faces that was allowed to enter the home but to deny him entry might also cause suspicion. He clasped the strange man's hand and nodded. "I am. And you are?"

"Laurent. S. M. Laurent. I'm a neighbor." Saïx gave Luxord's hand a firm shake. "I was away for weeks on business and imagine my surprise when I return to find I have new neighbors. I had to come over right away and introduce myself. I didn't even have time to buy a gift, forgive me. This house has been vacant for so long and I was so excited to hear it was filled that I just rushed right over."

"I see." Luxord forced a smile and stepped aside. "Well, come in. Our good friend Demyx brought breakfast. Would you like some?"

Saïx shook his head. "I really can't intrude. I just wanted to introduce myself and say hello. I really need to unpack and relax. But how about I stop by later tonight?"

Luxord looked between Demyx and Larxene worriedly. "T-tonight?"

"Tonight's no good." Larxene smiled sweetly at Saïx. "I'm afraid we just had to fire all our servants for stealing from us. It will be some time before we can properly interview and hire some new ones and unfortunately we're not very good hosts otherwise."

"You know, tomorrow morning would be a lovely day to go out on the town. Perhaps we can visit a restaurant and get better acquainted that way." Saïx smiled and clasped Larxene's hand in his, bringing it to his lips. "You'll all come, won't you?"

Demyx laughed and nodded. "Of course. If you insist, how could we deny you?"

Saïx nodded. "Wonderful. I'll see you tomorrow at nine."

"Goodbye, Mr. Laurent!" Luxord waved to the retreating man before turning his eyes furiously at Demyx. "What the hell was that!? You accepted plans for all of us when we know nothing about that man! What if he's a federal agent!?"

Demyx grinned widely and shrugged. "Did he look like a fed?"

Luxord scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Does a fed have a particular look?"

"Just trust me. The best thing to do in a situation like this is act like we've got nothing to hide. That way we don't seem suspicious. If he is a fed and we keep our cool then everything should go smoothly. But if he isn't a fed, big deal. We've got ourselves a potential new customer!" Demyx smiled to himself. "Now, how about some breakfast?"

Luxord sighed. "We're going to have to tell Marluxia."

"Don't be ridiculous." Demyx started back toward the kitchen with the two blonds in toe. "I'm sure all that precautionary stuff is just Zexion's paranoia. We'll just keep meeting the man outside of the house and learn if we can trust him."

"And in the meantime we run the risk of alienating the gangsters, and possibly pissing them off. No thank you. We're telling Marluxia as soon as we see him. I'm not messing around with this." Luxord crossed his arms as they entered the dining room where Demyx had sat his basket of confectionary. He took a seat beside Larxene who had remained silent since they'd parted ways with the stranger at the door. "Any thoughts, dear?"

Larxene furrowed her brow. "S. M. Laurent. It sounds so familiar but I can't place where I heard the name. But you saw that scar on his face, right? No business man gets a scar like that unless he's dealing with the mafia."

Demyx nodded and began pulling apart a sugar coated beignet. "I was thinking the same. I think he was either in the mafia, or dealing with them."

"Then that's all the more reason to be cautious of him. If he still has ties to a gang he could be trying to learn what exactly it is we're doing. Maybe he's doing something similar and he doesn't want us moving in on his territory." Luxord picked up a croissant from the basket and spread some butter on it. "Think about this logically. We _need_ to involve Marluxia. We may not like him, but we still rely on him. He keeps us safe. He's here to protect us, even if it doesn't seem like that. To be honest, I'd be more relieved to find out that guy is a federal agent. I'd rather go to prison than die at the hands of a rival gang."

"I think you're just being paranoid. But fine, we'll tell Marluxia." Demyx rolled his eyes and plopped a piece of beignet in his mouth.

"Tell Marluxia what?" Naminé looked at the three at the table curiously as she entered the dining room from the kitchen. She smiled and planted her hands on her hips as she stood at the head of the table. "You three look like you have a dirty little secret. Spit it out."

"It isn't that big of a deal." Demyx smiled sweetly at Naminé and pinched her nose. "Don't you worry your cute little head about it."

"Don't _fuck_ with me. What is it?" Naminé narrowed her gaze on Demyx. "What the hell did you do? I should have trusted Zexion when he said you were up to no good. What did you do!? Is it going to set us back?"

"Whoa, _Zexion_ said? Well, that's the last time I'm polite to that short shit." Demyx snorted and crossed his arms in irritation.

"Demyx!" Larxene looked at him with wide eyes. He was certainly becoming too comfortable around these gangsters. The look Naminé had on her face said that she had every intention of pulling the gun from the holster on her thigh and aiming it his head if he said one more thing to piss her off, but clearly Demyx didn't seem that concerned. She had to intervene. "D-don't worry Naminé. It really isn't that big of a deal. We just had a visitor…"

"A visitor!?" Naminé turned her glare to Larxene, the sweet and cheery demeanor she usually sported was entirely gone. "Did you let him in the mansion?"

"N-no." Larxene stared at the blonde girl in panic. She'd never seen such fury in the girl's face before. It was frightening. "He came to the door. Said he was a neighbor that just returned from a business trip. He said he heard this house was finally filled and he came to say hello. He invited the three of us out to breakfast tomorrow, then he left."

Naminé sighed with relief and plopped down into the chair at the head of the table. "Oh. Well, that's good. I mean, this is bad. But its good that he didn't come in. Marluxia is _not_ going to be happy. You were told not to open the door for anyone. We all have keys and would never knock."

Larxene nodded sheepishly. "I know. I just thought it was Demyx. H-he brought beignets…"

Naminé perked up at this statement and turned her bright eyes toward Demyx. "You brought beignets!?"

Demyx smiled and nudged the basket toward Naminé. "I brought beignets…"

Luxord watched as Naminé completely disregarded the previous conversation for the sugary fried triangle of dough. What was it with these women and their weakness for these things? "So, let's get down to the point. How much trouble are we going to be in?"

Naminé swallowed the small sticky mass in her mouth and began licking her fingers clean. "Mmm… Lots."

"Oh, good." Luxord sighed in exasperation. "Good to know."

"Well, actually Demyx isn't going to be in trouble. Not for _that_ anyhow." Naminé flashed him a warning gaze as he smiled cutely at her. "You and Lar though…" She paused in thought before giggling to herself. "Although, Marly _does_ fancy Larxene. So no. Only you will get in trouble."

Larxene stood and slammed her hands down on the table. "What!? But that's not fair! I was the one who answered the door! Not Luxord! He was in the kitchen! It was all my fault."

Naminé laughed lightly. "Oh my…"

Larxene's face fell at the almost sinister look that crossed the young blonde girl's face. "Wh-what?"

"Nothing. Only that the Larxene I knew a couple months ago would have _never_ thrown herself to the wolves like that, especially to protect another person." Naminé patted Larxene's hand and winked. "Don't worry, nobody is going to get into any serious trouble. The very worst that will happen is that you'll receive quite the lecture from Zexion. That isn't so bad, right?"

Larxene let out a sigh of relief and sat back down slowly. "Actually, I think I'd rather deal with Marluxia face to face. But alright. A lecture, I can handle."

Luxord smiled and gripped Larxene's hand under the table. She returned it with a gentle squeeze and a smile. Yes, perhaps she really was turning around after all…


	20. A Hundred Steps Back

Hello everyone! *waves*

Uhg, I'm so tired today.

Soooooo… Not to whore myself out or anything but…

I now have a Formspring but I have nobody to ask me questions (except for my creepy stalker girl who _won't go away… geeze._) So I'd love for you guys to pop by there and ask me some questions. You can ask me ANYTHING and I'll answer! The url is ( formspring . me/sugarbeatangel ) just remember to take the spaces out of the url.

PLEEEEEEEEEASE pop by and ask me something! Anything! It is so addicting, you don't understand! T.T Please…

This is the EXACT reason I don't have a Facebook! Uhg.

Ok, all that BS aside, lets get back to the story. I'd like to address some reviews:

Ha ha, sadly I don't think Xigbar will be making an appearance in this story. I figure I might as well leave the poor guy out of this one. He's easily one of my favorite characters so I tend to default on him when I need a character for something. However, he can't be in EVERY one of these stories from this series. I had to leave him out of one, and this will be it. It isn't fair to other characters that got left out of other stories (Vexen, Xemnas, Xaldin etc.) to always include Xigbar just cause he's more awesome than them. Lol. But seriously, the mobster thing… Don't expect it to die. Ever. I'm a huge fag for mobsters and I was actually planning on writing an ALL mob story with the Org. but that's a tale for a different time.

If you're getting tired of/annoyed with Demyx, don't expect that feeling to go away too soon. He's going to be around for a while causing ruckus. I _need_ him right now for that purpose. I'm sorry. I know, he's getting on my nerves too. But he'll be important to the plot for a while. BUT I've got a feeling that this chapter will give you a bit of satisfaction as far as that's concerned.

Saïx is actually not the villain this time around, though I don't know that he's a hero either. He's just there as an ominous character to make everyone paranoid. But when things start to heat up and his informant is revealed… Well, then he'll really start to shine as only that douche bag can.

And Naminé! Oh my god, do you love gun toting Naminé or what! I personally love the idea of something so small and adorable waving around a pistol like its a toy. So, don't expect that to go away. Her badassity will only increase until the climax of the story. *joysparklesparkle* But of course she won't be too terribly OOC. She's still a sweet heart, just a gun toting one.

And to everyone, thanks for reading! Thanks for reviewing! It all means so much and I truly, truly appreciate it!

Now on the story! (Back to journal entry for the chapter.)

Enjoy! (UHG! It isn't letting me put the normal breaks between diary and flashback! ARG! Oh well, you know the drill. Italics is diary.)

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_April 8, 1922_

_Well, diary… I've managed to mess everything up. Not just with answering the door to that man this morning. No, that wasn't bad enough. I've messed up completely and I don't know that I can really handle it right now. I've never lost something that I didn't know if I could live without. That sounds so very unlike me, but really, he's all I have._

_I messed it up._

_Normally, this is where I'd start blaming everyone else under the sun for my problems. Maybe I'd even blame him. But this is no one's fault. No one's but my own…_

Larxene sighed as there came a knock at the door. She'd just finished receiving a long lecture from Zexion about the importance of staying guarded in this situation and how she should never under any circumstances answer the front door again. Pryor to that, Marluxia had come to tell her that he wasn't angry with her but that she needed to be much more careful. Now there was another knock at the door and she prayed that it wasn't another mobster. She couldn't handle another lecture. "I'm indecent!" The door opened anyhow. She whirled around with a smile, expecting to see Luxord. It wasn't Luxord. "Demyx! What are you doing here!"

Demyx smirked and closed the door behind him. "I thought I'd come help you get dressed. Although, I wish it was the other way around."

Larxene furrowed her brow and shook her head. "You shouldn't be here Demyx."

"Why not? Luxord is downstairs getting a lecture from Zexion and Marluxia is overseeing it. Naminé is busy too. We're totally alone up here." Demyx stepped toward Larxene quickly and grabbed her hands. "Not that it would matter anymore. Naminé practically knows and Marluxia's not as dumb as you think. Pretty soon Luxord will…"

"No!" Larxene tugged away from Demyx and scowled. "Demyx, this has to stop! It has gone on long enough and now I'm done. I don't want this!"

"What do you mean you don't want this?" Demyx wrapped his arms around Larxene's waist and pulled her against him. "Of course you do. You're just scared. That's all. But I promise you that once everyone knows…"

"You're not understanding!" Larxene pushed off of Demyx, growling in irritation. "It is _over_. I'm done! I don't want this affair!"

Demyx chuckled and shook his head. "It isn't an _affair_, darling! I loved you first. You loved me first. That makes any relationship outside of ours the affair."

"No, Demyx. No!" Larxene shook her head. "No it doesn't. You're so wrong. You're so wrong about everything! I'm married to Luxord."

Demyx laughed loudly and grabbed Larxene's arms, pulling her close again. "That didn't stop you before, darling. Why the sudden conscience?"

Larxene bit her lip and looked away from Demyx. She was furious right now. Pissed beyond all definition of the word. But that didn't mean she didn't care about causing him pain. But no, this caring for one another thing was a two way street and if she was going to take his feelings into consideration, he should have to take hers. She kept her eyes downcast and relaxed under Demyx's grip. "I… I love him."

"You _what_?" Demyx stared at Larxene a moment before bursting into hysterical laughter. "Oh, oh d-dear Lord, Larxene! Ha! Oh, darling! That's rich!"

Larxene snapped her gaze to Demyx angrily. For some reason, tears were beginning to sting her eyes and she grit her teeth. "I _mean_ it!"

Demyx's laughter faded to a light giggle and he wiped the corner of his eye. "No. No you don't."

Larxene glared at Demyx through the now increasing tears. "Yes I do! I love him Demyx! I love him and I want to be his wife! I'm done with this!"

Demyx's gaze narrowed on the woman in front of him, anger now rising. "You _don't_ love him, Larxene. You love _me._ And quite frankly, I'm beginning to grow impatient."

"I don't love you Demyx! I don't! I never have and I never will!" Larxene stared up at Demyx furiously. "I care for you and you are my dearest friend! You've been such an important part of my life for as long as I can remember! But I don't love you! Not in the way you need me to. So let it go!"

"You're lying!" Demyx moved his hands to cup Larxene's face. His eyes were now beginning to swim with tears as he stared down at her. "You _do _love me! I know it! Those times we made love were so beautiful and special! You gave yourself to _me_ your first time! Not to him, _to me_! We're meant to be together, Larxene! We made love just a week ago, damn it! I know _that_ meant something!" He pulled her into a kiss gently and held her still. He was determined to get through to her.

Larxene looked up at Demyx sadly with his lips crushed against hers. She knew she needed to pull away, but instead she slid her hands up his chest. He pulled away from her slowly and she stared up at him. "Demyx… I…" But something caught her eye. Movement. She peered over Demyx's shoulder to see Luxord standing at the door, staring with rage. "L-Luxord! Th-this isn't…"

"Isn't what, _daaaaarling_? Exactly what it looks like?" Luxord clenched his fists and glared at the two before him. "This isn't my wife standing nude in the arms of another man she swore up and down that she wasn't involved with?"

Larxene pushed past Demyx toward Luxord slowly. "Luxord, listen…"

"No! No, I'm through listening to you! You lying bitch! I trusted you. I believed you when every inch of my gut told me otherwise. Hell, even _Marluxia_ was hinting around to it and I ignored it!" Luxord threw his gaze to Demyx before tossing it back to Larxene. "Tell me, does everyone know or just a select few?"

"Don't take it so hard, Lux." Demyx shrugged and smiled.

"You shut your filthy mouth you little bastard!" Luxord narrowed his gaze on the other man. "I'll deal with you in a moment."

Demyx scoffed and crossed his arms. "You really have no one to blame but yourself."

"Shut up, Demyx!" Larxene glowered at him before turning her eyes back to her husband. "Luxord, really! There's so much more involved than just…"

"Save it! I don't want to hear anything you have to say." Luxord took a step back from Larxene as she reached out to him. "Don't. Don't you dare touch me with those hands."

Larxene shook her head violently as the tears began streaking down her makeup caked face. "Luxord, please! You have to understand. I love you! I never meant to…"

"To what? Get caught?" Luxord stared hard at Larxene. "Believe me, I already know that. The only thing I don't actually know is how long this has been going on. Has it been before we were married or was it that you got a sudden itch to be an adulterous whore after the fact!"

Larxene shook her head sadly. "Luxord, please."

"Answer the fucking question, Larxene!" Luxord planted his hands on his hips. "When did this start!"

Larxene couldn't lie anymore. She just couldn't. It wouldn't do any good and Luxord wouldn't believe her anyhow, but aside from that, she didn't want to lie to him anymore. She took in a deep breath and kept her eyes downcast. "Th-the day after our wedding. I was frustrated and confused and I needed someone to talk to and so I found Demyx and he was drunk and I was so confused that I let…" Larxene trailed off and bit her bottom lip. "But I'm not confused anymore! I know what I want Luxord, and that's you! I want you. I love you and I'm happy with you!"

"That's why you slept with him _a week ago_? Because you love me, but you were confused?" Luxord scoffed and shook his head. "What a load of horse shit."

"This is all just happening so fast that I…" Larxene hiccupped quietly as she began to cry more heavily. "It was a _mistake_. Please understand that…"

"The only thing I understand is that you've made a mockery of our marriage this whole time. What's worse, you've made a mockery of my mother's wedding ring. A symbol of unity and devotion, and you've practically spat on it." Luxord held his hand out toward Larxene calmly. "I want it back."

Larxene clasped her ringed hand in her other hand and shook her head. "P-please don't, Luxord. I cherish it and everything it stands for! I love you. I don't want…"

"I do not give a shit what you want!" Luxord grabbed Larxene's wrist and forced her hand open to reveal the ring.

"Don't touch her!" Demyx shoved Luxord back and put a protective hand on Larxene's shoulder. He turned her toward him and tried to coax her hand into giving access to the ring. "Come now, darling. Don't be silly. Give the bastard his ring back and I'll buy you a pretty, new one."

Larxene shook her head and clutched her hand tighter. "No! Stop it!"

"I'm sorry, darling. You have to." Demyx smiled sweetly at her and caressed her face gently. "Here, just let me help you."

Larxene shook her head again as Demyx began to peel her fingers back and gained access to the ring. "I don't want to give it back! It means the world to me!"

Demyx wrapped his fingers around the ring and tugged quickly. It popped off in his hand. He quickly released it and let if fall onto the floor with a deafening ting. "There. Now that worthless piece of garbage is disposed of."

Luxord grit his teeth and glared at Demyx as he knelt to pick up the ring. "Watch your mouth."

Demyx put his foot over the ring just as Luxord's fingers made contact with it. "Take your mother's trash and get the hell out." He watched as Luxord calmly snatched up the ring in his hand. He smiled with satisfaction before murmuring to himself. "Fils de putain…"

Luxord stood quickly and eyed the shorter man. "What did you say?"

"_Fils de putain_. Come now, I know you must speak _some_ French." Demyx grinned widely as Luxord continued to stare at him. "No? Allow me to translate. I called you a son of a…"

And then Luxord felt it. That satisfying contact of fist to flesh. He didn't hesitate at all. In fact, he was quite certain his fist began to fly long before Demyx provided his translation, which was unneeded. But he didn't stop with the single hit. He followed Demyx to the ground where the man had fallen and continued to deal blow after blow to his face. He half expected Larxene to shriek and make an effort to stop him, but she didn't. Why didn't she? Surely she must care that he was pummeling her lover into the floor. Then he felt a gun to the back of his head and froze.

"Stop. Stop it right now!" Naminé stared down at Luxord angrily. "What the hell do you think you're doing, Luxord!"

Luxord stood slowly and turned to face Naminé. "Just giving that bastard what he deserves."

Naminé looked from Larxene to Demyx, who was now unconscious on the floor, and then back to Larxene again. "What happened?"

Larxene looked to Naminé sadly. "W-we… I…" She would lie. She would lie to protect Luxord. "I was just getting ready. Demyx barged in, I think he was drunk. He tried to force himself on me. That's when Luxord stopped…"

"Stop lying." Marluxia stepped into the room and crossed his arms. "I know that you two have been having an affair for some time now. And the boy isn't stupid. He wouldn't risk our livlihood to rape you when it could mean his own life would end." He looked over to Luxord who was seething quietly. "My guess is that our dear Mr. Gabbiani overheard something he wished he hadn't. But there is no time to discuss that now. We have our roles to play and this evening needs to be as flawless as yesterday's. Now hurry and clean the blood off you knuckles…"

Luxord scowled. "I'm not going to pretend everything is alright. How can you expect me to?"

"Oh, I expect you to. And you will or you'll regret it." Marluxia turned to Larxene with a smile. He reached out and cupped her chin gently. "And the same goes for you, sweet. Flawless and perfect or else. Now wipe that pretty face clean and start over. Nobody likes to see a lady cry."

_Marluxia was right. Nobody likes to see a lady cry._

_Maybe that's why Luxord avoided any eye contact with me._

_He hates me now, I know it. And as hard as I tried to apologize and fix things, he wouldn't have it…_

"H-hey…" Larxene forced a smile as she stepped up beside the poker table where Luxord sat. "Marluxia said it'd be okay for you to have another drink. There's only a few stragglers left so it doesn't matter if you get drunk."

Luxord kept his eyes narrowed down on the cards in his hands as he dealt himself a game of solitaire.

"S-so, here." Larxene sat a glass of whiskey on the edge of the table and bit her bottom lip. "Zexion gave you the good stuff."

Luxord turned a glance toward the drink before putting his eyes back on the game before him.

"You've been awfully quiet tonight. Last night you were pretty wild and fun. Everybody really liked your company." Larxene sucked in a quick breath and took a seat beside Luxord. They sat in silence a moment before she reached out hesitantly toward him. "Luxord, please just…"

Luxord growled and snatched the glass of whiskey up in his hand. He nodded to the few remaining bar patrons who were sloppily gathering their belongings to leave, and then stormed his way up the stairs. He'd reached his room by the time he noticed a pair of high heels clacking after him. He quickly slammed the door behind him and locked it. There was a knock. "Go away."

Larxene rested her head against his door and jiggled the doorknob to no avail. "Luxord, we need to talk. I love you and I…"

"Get some rest." Luxord took gulp of the whiskey and swallowed it hard. "You've got a breakfast date with S. M. Laurent tomorrow morning and you wouldn't want to look anything but your best…"


	21. Two Faces

So I think this story is actually drawing to its close, AND NOBODY HAS DIED YET! Holy crap. Don't worry. SOMEBODY will die. I have to kill off at least one. (And no, I don't actually know when a story is going to end. It does that itself. I just pick a beginning and ending and it leads the way.)

Thanks to those of you who've asked me questions on my Formspring! I was just about to turn the anon. option off because that's what my stalker girl uses to harass me with her so _painfully obvious_ questions… but then I got five random ones like rapid fire and so I got excited. In the future (if it isn't too much trouble and it isn't a big deal if you forget to) could you guys maybe put "**FF:**" in front of your questions so I at least know you're somebody from FF? I'm going to ask my devArt questioners to do the same. It would be interesting to see how many people I get from FF vs. dA vs. Real Life. Again, you don't have to do it if it seems like too much trouble or if you forget, its no biggie. PLEASE HARASS ME SOME MOAR!

Alright, now back to the story. There's not a WHOLE lot of stuff going on. Just plot development. But it is all culminating to the peek of the story. So I hope you enjoy. I may or may not be posting a second chapter this weekend. Depends on my SUPER BUSY SCHEDULE (sarcasm).

Anyhow, enjoy!

* * *

"Good morning, Mrs. Gabbiani. You look lovely today." Saïx smiled and pressed Larxene's hand to his lips. He then turned his gaze to the man standing behind her, his face swollen and bruised. "And you…"

Demyx groaned and crossed his arms. "I was mugged. I suppose that's what I get for lurking around in unsavory parts of town looking for a cheep thrill."

Saïx nodded with a grin. "I see. Well, thrills aren't cheap my friend. They'll often cost you sooner or later, one way or another." He peered behind the two into the mansion. "Is Mr. Gabbiani going to be joining us this morning?"

"Oh, no." Larxene forced a smile and shook her head. "He was feeling a bit under the weather this morning. He regretfully had to decline. However, Demyx and I would still love to accompany you if you'll have us."

"Of course." Saïx motioned for the two to exit the mansion. "I have a car waiting. Are you ready?"

"Yes." Larxene smiled sweetly and took the man's arm. She let him lead her to the car where they all climbed into the back seat. He had a driver, which she took note of. Marluxia told her that she needed to pay attention to everything about this man. If he didn't have a driver, it was huge red flag that he was not who he said he was. However everything seemed in order. A driver, a nice car, and even the manners of a man with money. They arrived quickly at a restaurant and exited the car. This was the first time Larxene had been to the city since they'd arrived that night on the train. It was entirely different in the daylight. It was breathtaking. But she had little time to take it all in as she was escorted into the restaurant. They were seated near the back which she found strange but she paid it no mind. She picked up the menu and began searching for the cheapest thing. Marluxia hadn't given her much money to work with.

Saïx smiled at Larxene as she stared down at the menu. "Order whatever you like. It is entirely on me."

"Alright, thank you." Larxene smiled gratefully at Saïx before turning her attention back to the menu. "I don't know. It all sounds so good. I can't decide."

"I'll order for you then. Hmm… Let's see. I wonder if they have Johnnycakes." Saïx looked up at Larxene and smirked. "What is it they're called in the South, again?"

"Hoecakes, but they're…" Larxene froze and turned her gaze up slowly to Demyx who stared at her with wide eyes. She then looked to the man across from them with a smile. "A-at least, that's what I've heard but I've never…"

Saïx chuckled and shook his head. "Relax, Miss Even. I'm not here to cause you distress." He pulled out a small badge and flashed it to her quickly. "I am Agent Isa of the Prohibition Unit of the Bureau of Internal Revenue. I know all about your situation and I'd like to help."

Larxene's face paled as Saïx spoke. "Y-you know? How?"

"I have an informant amongst your gangster friends. But that isn't important. What's important is that I can help you." Saïx narrowed his gaze on the blonde woman seriously. "I've been informed of the precarious situation in which you find yourself. I can help."

Larxene felt sick. This was it. She was going to jail if she didn't make a deal with this man right now. If she made a deal, she was as good as dead. "How can you help me?"

"If I can arrest your friends for the illegal production and distribution of alcohol, I can help close a case that the Federal Bureau of Investigation has been working on for the past year. The disappearance of one Mr. and Mrs. Gabbiani, as well as other less severe criminal acts they've been involved in." Saïx looked to Demyx and then back to Larxene. "For being so helpful in bringing them down, you would both receive government pardons for your role in the illegal production and distribution of alcohol. Should you choose not to help us, well…" He grinned and folded his arms over his chest. "You'll all be arrested."

"Well I'm so glad we've been given a choice." Demyx scoffed and mimicked Saïx's pose. "It isn't our fault you know. They're forcing us into this. Either that or they kill us. We're hostages."

Saïx leaned forward and narrowed his eyes on the man across from him. "That's not what I heard. Not about you anyway. The lady, yes. But not you. And if you don't deliver, you'll be going to prison."

Larxene furrowed her brow. "Who _is_ this informant of yours?"

"I'm afraid that is classified information. But, I have a feeling this person will tell you when they feel the time is appropriate." Saïx smiled and motioned to the menu. "Still hungry?"

"No." Larxene scoffed and growled. "Not at all."

Saïx stood slowly. "Well then, we're wasting space here. I'll return you to your home. You must not speak a word of this outside of this restaurant. There is no discussing this amongst each other. And no telling that man parading around as your husband."

"He _is_ my husband. And he's a hostage too." Larxene crossed her arms and started toward the car. "Not that he'd listen to me about this anyhow." She climbed into the back seat and rode in furious silence back to the mansion. Once they were safely inside she locked the front door and glared at Demyx. "You just _had_ to accept his invitation to breakfast, didn't you?"

"As though I knew that was going to happen!" Demyx shook his head and sighed. "Besides, it _is_ a good thing, don't you think?"

"A good thing? No! Its a mess!" Larxene groaned and grabbed her head in her hands. "Everything is falling apart. And now Marluxia is going to kill us when we tell him about S. M. Laurent or _whatever_ that guy's name was."

"Whoa, now! We can't tell him! Are you insane? Think about it. If we tell him he'll either kill us or we'll go to jail and _then_ they'll kill us. But if we work this out right, we could be off completely free. They're all arrested and they can't hurt us."

"Only the ones who're arrested! But Marluxia was going to be a lawyer before all this. Don't you think he'll be able to keep himself out of trouble? I think we need to tell him about that guy and tell him that they've got an informant amongst us! Ooh… I bet anything its Zexion!" Larxene clenched her fists in anger. "I could strangle that little hypocrite. Just wait till I tell Marluxia!"

"Don't be stupid Larxene! Think about this for a second. That informant is our only fail safe we've got. Marluxia isn't going to think it is one of his own guys. He'll think it is one of us. And to be safe, he'll probably kill all three of us! But if that informant is on our side, they won't let anything bad happen to us. They'll turn Marluxia over no matter what. We don't even really have to worry about doing that. Do you know why?" Demyx smiled widely as Larxene blinked up at him in disinterest. "Because we are going to steal the money that Marluxia has been making off of our hard efforts and run away!"

Larxene stared up at Demyx in irritation. "Demyx, are you a moron?"

"How is that moronic? That plan is genius! We'll be gone before they realize it and by the time they _do_ realize it, that agent will have them arrested with all his fed friends. You and I will be long gone with thousands!" Demyx grabbed Larxene's hands and nodded eagerly. "It sounds perfect, doesn't it?"

Larxene shook her head. "My father…"

"Who gives a shit about your father? He got you into this mess in the first place! He forced you to marry Luxord. And look at you now. Broken hearted, defeated." Demyx caressed her cheek with the back of his hand. "You deserve a happy life far away from here and that's what I can give you. Let's do this. We can go anywhere in the world. Anywhere."

Larxene looked up at Demyx sadly. There was so much sincerity and hope in his eyes. "Demyx…" She shook her head and sighed. "Did Luxord not knock some sense into you last night? I'm married to him. I love him, not you."

Demyx avoided Larxene's gaze and swallowed hard. "Yeah, I heard you plenty of times when you said that. But he hates you now. But I'll always love you and I feel like eventually you could grow to love me too."

Larxene sucked in a quick breath. "G-give me a week to decide. A full week."

Demyx smiled brightly and grabbed Larxene's face in his hands. "Alright! Alright…" He pressed his lips to her forehead happily. "A week. I'll wait patiently this time. I promise."

"Alright. Now get out of here. And if Marluxia asks, we agree to tell him that S. M. Laurent was just exactly as he said he was, a business man. He took us to breakfast and was very kind and completely legitimate. That's it." Larxene motioned for Demyx to leave. Once he was gone out the front door she groaned and started up the stairs. She was far too tired to try and survive the rest of the day without napping. But as she reached the top of the stairs she noticed Luxord standing outside her door with arms crossed and eyes closed. "L-Luxord…"

"So…" Luxord opened his eyes slowly and stared at a spot on the wall across from him. "You're running away with him?"

"Luxord, that's not…" Larxene stepped toward him slowly. "There's more involved. The feds…"

"I heard." Luxord turned to face Larxene. "I just laugh that Demyx thinks he'll actually be able to steal money from Marluxia."

Larxene bit her bottom lip. "You're going to rat him out, aren't you?"

Luxord scoffed. "If that idiot wants to get himself killed trying to rip off the gangsters, he certainly doesn't need my help. He'll manage himself. I don't have to say a word."

"Luxord, we can do this together." Larxene reached out and put a hand on Luxord's arm. "You can come too."

"As though I would want to." Luxord tugged away from Larxene. "You're so spoilt. Do you really think you can have us both?"

"I don't want you both! I don't want him!" Larxene felt tears begin to swell up in her eyes. "If you really were listening then you heard me tell him that I love you and not him. You heard that, Luxord! I know you did."

Luxord turned away from Larxene. "You knew I was listening."

"If I thought you were listening, I would've spoke a lot louder. You're being ridiculous and I'm about damn tired of your selective hearing in the past twelve hours!" Larxene grabbed Luxord by his wrist and tried her best to spin him around but to no avail. Instead, she stepped in front of him and crossed her arms. "Listen to me, damn it! Listen well! The times that Demyx and I slept together were _few _and_ far between_! Not to mention, I hadn't even begun to realize how I felt for you at any of those times!"

Luxord rolled his eyes. "That makes it alright?"

Larxene growled. "No, damn it! It doesn't! But it isn't nearly as bad! I didn't love you at the time and I sure as hell didn't love him! It just happened and it only happened twice and it was a stupid mistake! He never made me feel the way you do."

Luxord looked down at Larxene with a sense of pride welling up. "Really?" He felt a small smile crawl onto his face before shaking it off. "That doesn't matter though! You still disregarded the sacred oath you took when you accepted my mother's ring!"

"I didn't know how much it really meant! I didn't know anything until it was too late! And don't you think in a small way, that's your fault? You kept closed and told me nothing about how special I truly was to you! Nothing! I thought you were as miserable as I was and after I found out you lied to me about the money I figured you were really forced into this like me! How was I supposed to know that you really cared?" Larxene huffed angrily and turned away from Luxord. "I screwed up, but so did you. At least I realize it! At least I'm trying to fix it! I love you Luxord and now that I realize I do, that isn't just going to go away no matter how much I wish it would. I wish I could just walk away and have that be the end but I can't and I won't. The question is, how long are you going to brood over something that was so entirely meaningless?"

Luxord looked at the back of Larxene's head calmly. "Meaningless?" He sighed. Demyx was meaningless to Larxene. That didn't make the betrayal hurt less, but it did make it slightly easier to get over. It wasn't an emotional affair. It was a meaningless physical one. He inhaled slowly. "It'll take some time."

Larxene whirled around, those words were nearly the most beautiful she'd ever heard. She couldn't fight the bright smile blooming onto her face. "How long?"

Luxord smiled softly. "Give me a week. A full week."


	22. Treating it Like a Game

DUN DUN DUN! And here things start to unfold for you, the reader. Though most the characters are still blissfully unaware.

Come on now, who saw this coming? Honestly?

Last chapter for the weekend. Hope you enjoy it! :D

* * *

"Are you out of your mind?"

Saïx rolled his eyes as his informant stormed up to him. "Mind your volume. We're in a public place in broad daylight."

"Well, let's go somewhere _less_ public and talk about this. This is a major issue!"

Saïx mused calmly up from his cup of coffee. "Major issue? How so?"

"Why did you tell Larxene there was an informant amongst them?"

Saïx sighed and put his coffee aside. He knew there was no way he'd be able to enjoy it now. "She was going to find out sooner or later. Besides, you weren't doing anything to help me so I had to light a little fire under your ass. Now I expect to see some results. This isn't a game."

"You think I don't know that? I just don't see why today of all days had to be when you told her that you were a fed!"

Saïx chuckled lightly. "Well I had to think of _some_ way to make her lose her appetite. That was a really expensive restaurant and I'm a grunt worker. I don't get paid enough to…" He paused as his informant's hand slammed down on the table.

"Now who's treating this like a game?"

"Relax. Larxene's a smart girl and with your guidance, I'm sure she'll do the right thing." Saïx picked his coffee back up and took a sip. "Everything will go according to plan. Letting her know that she's being watched is a good way to ensure her safety. She's less likely to do something reckless. Besides, I honestly expected you to have told her before now, you being as in love with her as you are…"

"That's the precise reason I haven't told her yet…"

Saïx watched as the informant stood slowly and walked away from the table. He leaned forward on his elbows and stared away from the man. "Demyx…"

Demyx froze as he heard Saïx speak his name. "What?"

"She's going to find out you're the one who turned over her father. You're the reason she's in this mess." Saïx took a long sip of his coffee and let out a slow breath. "Don't you think it best she hear it from you?"

Demyx clenched his fists and glanced back at Saïx. He grit his teeth in anger before storming out of the restaurant in fury.


	23. Within the Week

It is FRIDAY again! *yawn* Ah man, I'm tired. I stay up too late watching vulgar cartoons on work nights.

So, I'll be going to Disneyland again! Which means I can't promise any updates for this weekend besides this one. Sorry, but I need a little pick-me-up and Disneyland is like coke for me. I snort pixie dust the whole time I'm there and I'm good for a month.

Anyhow, incase you couldn't tell by now, there are only a few chapters left after this. How many, I can't say. I'm thinking two at the minimum, five at the max. Although that five is a leeway number. I doubt it'll actually be five.

Also, in writing this chapter I wanted to give more info about the minor characters and how they got involved in being in a gang, but I didn't get the chance. So I'm thinking I'll write a little side story told through Nam's perspective. Whatcha guys think?

Anyhow, enjoy this chapter!

* * *

"Are you sure you aren't making a mistake, trusting them?" Zexion sat across from Marluxia in near vacant diner with his eyes locked on the man behind their entire operation. "I mean, let's really think about this for a second. You're giving three spoiled rich kids free reign over our base of operations. The money is there, the _product_ is there, all the evidence of our business is there, and Larxene's not even smart enough to wipe her own nose, let alone know not to open the door for anyone. All three of them are so far bred from this kind of life that they're entirely lost…"

"Well, so are you Zexion. But I trust you with my life." Marluxia smiled and sipped on his glass of water. "Let's face it. Nobody was going to believe that you, a seventeen year old, and Nami, a fifteen year old are a married couple living on their own in Chicago. We needed somebody older, and it just so happened that Larxene fell into our laps at the right time. She's about the right age, it all worked out perfectly."

"Yes, but she's a moron!" Zexion sighed and shook his head. "I'm sorry, I know you're sweet on her. But the girl has no common sense."

Marluxia chuckled softly. "She has _some_. And she'll learn, with time."

"It isn't even her I'm worried about." Zexion grabbed up his coffee in his hand and took a long drink. "I'm concerned about the other two… Demyx and Luxord." He paused as he heard the door to the diner open with the ring of the bell. He watched as Naminé approached swiftly. "_You're_ late."

"_You're_ early." Naminé huffed and removed her coat. "Is that any way to greet me, anyhow?"

Zexion rolled his eyes and motioned for her to take a seat beside him. "You'd rather I give you special treatment just because I like your face?"

Naminé took a seat beside Zexion and nudged him. "Why not? I give you special treatment all the time just because I like your face!"

Marluxia mused quietly to himself at the small exchange between the two. Although it was too late to change his mind now, he had to admit it would have likely been a safer choice to appoint these two to the roles of the Gabbiani couple. They cared about each other, that was obvious. But business always came first and silly emotions were things they brushed aside for work. Not to mention they were both as cunning and deadly as a viper in a room full of mice. He cleared his throat as the two bickered playfully and leaned on the table. "Anyhow, you were saying, Zexion?"

Zexion nodded slowly. "Yes. I was saying that my concerns don't lie with Larxene so much. I'm more concerned about Demyx and Luxord."

Naminé sighed and rolled her eyes. "Here we go again…"

Zexion furrowed his brow at Naminé and grunted. "I'm not just being paranoid." He turned his attention back to Marluxia and shook his head. "She thinks I'm being paranoid but Demyx has been behaving strangely. And after that incident last night with him and Luxord, well, it is very clear that they're going to be trouble. Not to mention, we _still_ don't know for sure who really turned over the New Orleans segment to the authorities. Naminé still thinks it was Larxene's mother, but does that really make sense? How is it that Demyx and _Demyx alone_ managed to escape capture?"

"Perhaps Demyx is more cunning than you give him credit for." Marluxia watched Zexion curiously. The boy had so much emotion in his eyes that it was clear this was more than just a fabrication out of jealousy. He truly believed there was more to this than they knew. "Or, perhaps, this warrants more investigation than we originally intended."

Zexion smiled at the words but quickly forced it away. "I think we'll all be able to rest a lot easier knowing we can trust him. As for Luxord…"

"Ah yes. What to do about Luxord?" Marluxia snickered to himself. "The man wears his emotions on his sleeve. Its no wonder he acts akin to dynamite when something involving Larxene displeases him. Not to mention his unwillingness to put petty matters aside for the benefit of the majority…"

Zexion nodded. "Would it be beneficial to off him?"

Naminé shook her head quickly. "Oh, no. Larxene would pitch a fit. I don't blame Luxord for refusing to meet with S. M. Laurent this morning. Though it may have seemed odd, Larxene said he was satisfied with the excuse she gave. Besides, if Luxord had gone and had been unable to hide his emotions, that would have seemed all the more unusual. I agree with him not attending the breakfast meeting this morning."

"Mmm…" Marluxia nodded slowly. "That's another matter which we must address. This odd fellow, S. M. Laurent. What was said of him?"

Naminé shook her head. "We followed. I know it was risky but I didn't trust Larxene's judgment. Or Demyx's for that matter."

Marluxia looked from Naminé to Zexion and made a "tsk" sound. "I'm disappointed. That was reckless."

Zexion shook his head stiffly. "It couldn't be helped. Besides, I think you'll be more relieved once you hear our report."

Marluxia sighed. "Continue. I'm listening."

Naminé took in a deep breath. "We didn't go inside. We didn't leave the car at all, so we don't know what was said. All we know is that he picked them up and drove them downtown. They entered the restaurant and spent a total of fifteen minutes inside before leaving."

Marluxia cocked an interested eyebrow. "Fifteen?"

"Exactly fifteen." Zexion looked to Marluxia seriously. "If he said anything to Larxene or Demyx about himself, they didn't mention it to either of us. But my concern is peaked. He had a scar on his face in the shape of an x. Whether it was from a knife fight or a branding from another gang, I can't say quite yet. I'll have to look more into it. But I'm almost certain he is anything but a neighbor, and certainly not a business man."

"Well then, it seems you'll be getting to quench your blood thirst after all you two." Marluxia smiled as devilish grins blossomed onto the two young faces before him. "Also, I think it is time to move the money, and the organization for that matter, to a much more secure location. Be prepared to move within the week."


	24. The New Plan

Uhg, I'm not sleeping well, guys. I went to Disneyland and didn't even stay for any longer than four hours. THAT is how tired I've been.

Not that any of that matters. Except that I think it may be having an effect on my writing…

So let's just get down to it. I'm too tired for a longwinded rant.

There's smut in this chapter. Yeah, that's a quick turn around for Luxord, but you know what? He loves her. He loves her and he always has and he's kinda weak willed if you hadn't noticed by now. Besides, they needed some form of closure before the end. Like, total closure. None of that half assed shit.

So they have teh sex and stuff and it is really short cause I didn't even feel like writing that kind of thing (but did anyway cause I realized this story has had close to zero legitimate sex scenes unlike other stories). So if you wanna skip, stop at "Yeah… I think I can handle that just fine." and pick back up at "Mmm, goodnight."

Man, I feel like this story pales in comparison to "Where Eagles Dare." But then again, I can't go and compare every story I write from here on to that one since I am uber biased toward it. And look at me, I ended up going on a long winded rant anyway. Sweet.

ENJOY!

* * *

Luxord sighed with discontent. It had been two full days since he and Larxene had actually spoken to each other. He wanted to be stubborn. He wanted _her_ to come crawling to him and beg for attention, but he knew she wouldn't. Two stubborn souls didn't fit well together when their happiness was at stake.

He looked to the clock across the room. It was ten thirty at night. He should be asleep by now, but he wasn't. He was laying there, staring up at the canopy over his bed and thinking about Larxene in the room down the hall. Maybe she was laying in bed thinking about him too. Maybe she was crying because she knew she had messed up. Or maybe she as dead asleep and didn't even give him a single thought. At this revelation, Luxord jumped out of bed and stormed to the door. There was no way he was going to lay in bed a brood over her while she was sleeping peacefully in her own bed. He stomped down the hall and thrust her door open without knocking. "What are you doing?"

Larxene jumped as she heard the door open behind her. She turned around at Luxord's voice and blinked at him curiously. "Getting ready to write in my diary. Why are you barging in here unannounced?"

"I… I…" Luxord stammered. Damn. He was hoping she'd be sleeping. Then he could guilt her into making more of an effort to repair their relationship so he wouldn't have to. "I'm your husband. I shouldn't have to announce myself when I enter your room."

Larxene crossed her arms and cocked an eyebrow. "My husband, huh? That's awfully convenient for you when you need it to be. What about all the other times?"

"What other times?" Luxord placed his hands on his hips. "I'm your husband firstly and foremost. You're the one that makes it so damn difficult to act that way."

Larxene scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Did you just come here to berate me? Because if so, you'll pardon me while ignore you to write."

Luxord furrowed his brow and closed the distance between him and Larxene. "You and that damned diary. I didn't even take you as the kind of girl to keep a diary."

"Yes, well my mother thought it would be a good idea. I suppose she was right about _something_. At least it helps me keep my sanity." Larxene stepped over to the vanity where her diary sat. She opened it slowly and took up her pen.

Luxord took a seat on the bed and watched Larxene curiously. "What are you going to write about?"

Larxene paused in thought. "Well, about everything I suppose. The occurrence with S. M. Laurent, Demyx's ridiculous plan, you…"

"Me?" Luxord stood slowly and stepped over to Larxene. "You still write about me?"

Larxene nodded slowly. "All the time."

Luxord placed a hand on his wife's shoulder gently. "M-may I read?"

"No!" Larxene snapped her diary shut and clutched it to her chest. "A woman's thoughts are private! I've told you before, you can't see!"

"Alright, fine." Luxord chuckled softly. "Then don't write about me when I'm around."

Larxene growled. "Well you're in _my_ room so why don't you leave?"

Luxord caressed Larxene's arms and leaned down to press his mouth against her ear. "Do you really want me to?"

"No." Larxene turned to look at Luxord. "You know I don't but if you're going to be making fun of me then I think it best you not be here."

"I wasn't making fun." Luxord tugged Larxene to stand and pushed her diary aside. "Look, don't you think its time we talked? I mean, really talked about what we're going to do?"

Larxene blinked up at Luxord in confusion. "What do you mean? What is there to talk about?"

"Well, I mean… Demyx's plan. You think he's got a shot at being successful, otherwise you'd try to talk him out of it. And with that Laurent man being a fed, well, the odds are stacked in Demyx's favor." Luxord averted his gaze from his wife. "There's a lot of money in that safe down there. It could really go a long way for the two of you."

"Wh-what are you saying?" Larxene shook her head. "I told you, I don't love Demyx! I wouldn't have even considered going along with his ludicrous plan if I knew there was a chance that you might forgive me. And yes, I know it'll take time. I know that I hurt you and for the stupidest reasons. But, Luxord, you can be a part of this plan. Or even better, to hell with Demyx! We'll steal the money ourselves and disappear!"

Luxord laughed and shook his head. "Dear, don't be ridiculous."

"I'm not! I'm being entirely serious. Think about it. That money can get us a long way. It could get us to London, it could get us anywhere! Just you and me. To hell with everyone else! We can go somewhere amazing! Paris! The mother of New Orleans! We can live our lives there and forget everything else." Larxene nodded eagerly at Luxord. "It sounds ideal, doesn't it?"

"It…" Luxord looked down at Larxene's eyes, bright and full of hope. He couldn't help but smile. "It sounds lovely dear. But…"

"But nothing. We'll do it!" Larxene threw her arms around Luxord's shoulders in excitement.

Luxord was taken back when Larxene embraced him. Here she was, acting like nothing had happened. She should be apologizing. She should be groveling. But she wasn't and Luxord was strangely okay with that. He smiled and wrapped his arms around her gently. "You'll love Paris, dear. Of everywhere I've been, it is simply the most beautiful."

Larxene smiled into the crook of Luxord's neck and closed her eyes. "Everything will be perfect." She pulled back slowly and looked up at him. "And I'll prove to you that I can be a good wife. I'll cook you breakfast and…"

Luxord chuckled loudly. "That's quite alright. I don't think you need to threaten me. I already agreed to go."

Larxene gasped and pushed off of Luxord. "You ass! Don't make jokes! I'm being serious!"

"I know, I know. I'm sorry." Luxord laughed softly and pulled Larxene back against him. "You don't have to prove anything to me. I know you're a good wife."

"I just want to show you that I love you." Larxene looked up at Luxord sheepishly. "I've messed up, and the last thing I want is for you to think I don't love you."

Luxord put his hand to Larxene's face and forced her to keep his gaze. "I know that you love me. I should have never questioned that." He looked down at her, tears already swimming in her eyes. He was hesitant to just lean in and kiss her. After all, he was still hurting. But he wanted more than anything to just move on from this stupid mess and be happy. He sucked in a deep breath before bringing his lips to meet hers. He kissed her sweetly and wrapped his arms around her waist.

Larxene was shocked when Luxord took the initiative to kiss her. She certainly didn't expect him to want to kiss her, let alone be civil to her for quite some time. Yet here he was kissing her with so much care. She let her hands find their way up to his face to cup it as she returned his kiss with more passion.

Luxord pulled his mouth from Larxene's slowly. "I love you, Larxene." He turned her around and began unbuttoning the dress she wore, pressing his lips against her neck and shoulders as he peeled her clothing off. "I'm going to make love to you, and after that I'm going to hold you and fall asleep with you in my arms. And when I wake up, that's right where I want you to be. Can you handle that?"

"Yeah… I think I can handle that just fine." Larxene smiled and stepped toward the bed. She felt Luxord pull her into his arms as he gently eased her back onto the bed. In a matter of seconds he was above her, probing her carefully despite both their eagerness to just get down to business. She had to admit though, the foreplay felt nice. It brought chills to her whole body as he caressed slowly inside of her. Then suddenly he stopped, but his fingers were quickly replaced by the length of him forcing through her walls. She gasped loudly and clung to him. "G-good Lord, that feels amazing."

Luxord laughed and nuzzled her neck. "Its only been four days, dear. You act like a lifetime has passed."

"It felt like a lifetime." Larxene rolled her hips in time with Luxord's and smiled happily. But every night from now on… I expect this kind of attention."

"Oh, don't you worry. I fully intend to keep you satisfied." Luxord cradled Larxene's head in his palm, forcing her neck to be exposed. He kissed her feverishly and grinned. "I expect the same of you."

"You don't have to tell me twice." Larxene wrapped her legs around Luxord and pulled him closer. The feeling of him thrusting slowly but powerfully inside of her brought wave after wave of pleasure. She let out tiny moans when he hit special spots inside her that made her feel hot and cold at the same time. She could feel her orgasm building as he continued to plunge deeper inside of her. "I love you Luxord…"

"I love you too." Luxord entwined his fingers in Larxene's hair and kissed her deeply. He felt that distinct pulsation within Larxene that meant she'd reached her climax. He groaned as she raked her nails down his back and brought him even closer to his own climax. "I… I want you on top like last time."

"Alright." Larxene pushed Luxord to roll on his back and kept herself with him. She brought her hips down forcefully over his and began to grind down. She felt his length quiver inside her and his face was flushed red. And then the familiar pump of his seed filled her walls and she knew she'd brought him to orgasm as well. She kissed his lips with a smile laid down beside him. "Mmm, goodnight."

Luxord gasped for breath and rolled onto his side. He draped his arm over Larxene and pulled her against his chest. Everything…

Everything would be better now…


	25. Tonight

I was worried I wasn't going to be able to upload this chapter today. We were having severe internet issues on BOTH our computers. D:

I'm still having issues on my computer but thanks to my husband's computer savvy and the magic of a jump drive, I am able to bring you this chapter on time from the other computer.

This story would probably be finished by Sunday for me to post it… IF I wasn't doing my whole adventures in babysitting thing this weekend while one of my friends goes to Ink and Iron for a few days. So instead of writing (I REALLY need to get my laptop fixed) I'll be drawing about fifty little doodles of her daughters as Disney Princesses because that's what I do when I'm there with them. And lord knows those children never sleep, so it'll be 1 a.m. and I'll still be hammering out sketch after sketch so that they can color them badly and tape them to their bedroom walls.

Somebody save me! (Naw, it ain't that bad. Plus, they have a killer pool. FUN)

So anyhow, yes. You'll have to wait for the next chapter, which will probably be the _last_. But I promise I'll upload it as soon as it is finished and won't make you wait till the weekend.

Uh, I think that's all I have to say. Except, well, this chapter is short. Was gonna be two separate chapters but I crammed them into one. This Author's Note is almost as long as the chapter. And, uh, that's all.

ENJOY!

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Luxord sighed and sat Larxene's diary aside. He'd read it. He'd read all of it in the time it took her to bathe. Everything made so much more sense to him now. Her actions, her emotions. Everything. He sat staring down at it quietly as he heard her make her way down the hall. He stood quickly from the vanity and stepped over to the door to open it for her. But when he pulled the door open, it wasn't Larxene that he saw walking down the hallway. "What are you doing here so early?"

"Boss says we gotta move." Axel cocked an eyebrow at Luxord's naked appearance and snickered. "You think you can get some clothes on an help us a bit?"

"Move?" Luxord furrowed his brow and looked around Larxene's room for something to cover up with, but he realized he hadn't worn anything to her room the previous night. Only jumped out of bed naked and stormed his way there. He blinked back at Axel in confusion. "Wh-what do you mean we have to move?"

"Dunno. Boss says he'd feel safer if we moved the product to a more secure location. 'Course, it being broad daylight and all I'm thinking' we're gonna have to wait a bit. So that's why we're packin' up everythin' else." Axel motioned to Luxord's room. "So go get some clothes on and help us already."

"R-right." Luxord watched as Axel walked off before rushing to his room. He quickly pulled on a pair of slacks and then made his way to the bath. He stepped inside as Larxene climbed out of the tub and looked to her in a panic. "We're moving."

"What?" Larxene looked at Luxord curiously and reached for her robe to wrap around herself. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that I think Marluxia is on to that Laurent man. I think he knows exactly what is going on and he's decided that we're moving the product. But the way it sounds, we're moving the whole operation because Axel said their packing up everything else too." Luxord bit his lip nervously. "Are you sure this plan is a good idea anymore?"

"Damn it." Larxene furrowed her brow in thought. "I hate it, but I think we'll have to involve Demyx for a little while. Once we're far enough away we can abandon him, but I'm not good at making plans. Are you?"

"No." Luxord sighed. "Can't we just do what they want and forget the whole plan?"

"We can't! Don't you see? It doesn't matter where we move to. That informant is always going to be there and they're going to keep telling the feds where we are. And now that we know the feds are involved, we'll get in trouble for not helping." Larxene crossed her arms and leaned against the wall. "We either get killed by the gangsters or we go to prison, and probably still get killed by them. I don't want that. If we could just get that safe and a car, everything would be simpler. We don't even need to know the combination. We'll bust it open, we'll do whatever it takes."

"Alright, fine. But I don't want to involve Demyx. I'll think of something to do, but he won't be part of it." Luxord pulled Larxene into an embrace and pressed his lips to her forehead. "Just be packed and ready to leave tonight."

_Elsewhere…_

Demyx grinned widely as Saïx approached him. "Took you long enough."

Saïx rolled his eyes. "As though you've never kept me waiting before. What's this about? Still need more time?"

"No." Demyx shook his head. "No, today is the perfect day. As we speak, they're all up at the mansion preparing to move to a different location. Of course, trying to move the alcohol during the day would be foolish. That means this evening would be the best time. They'll be tired, because Lord knows Marluxia's too cheap to hire more goons than necessary to get the job done. They'll be moving all day, but chances are they won't even unlock the speakeasy until after sunset."

"Sunset…" Saïx nodded to himself. "Perfect. It'll give me plenty of time to gather a group of a agents and have them ready to storm in. You just need to make sure you're out of the way."

"Don't worry." Demyx smiled to himself. "I'll be long out of harm's way by then…"


	26. Romeo and Juliet: The Choice

Well, this is it. The finally chapter. I ended up being able to get it done by today after all! HOORAY ME!

I want to thank you guys, of course, as always for sticking through from beginning to end! It means a lot, as do all reviews and everything else. I love you guys! Seriously, you guys are why I keep writing.

Let me just say that I love evil Demyx. Can I just get that out there? I LOVE evil Demyx. I don't think I ever loved him more than in KHII when he went all srsface on Sora and yeah… That's probably why I've used him as a villain twice now.

And yeah, okay. This ending doesn't seem as sad as some of the ones I've done in the past. My husband (who has been kind enough to beta this for me) said it was probably the most satisfying ending he could have ever hoped for. So I hope you guys feel the same.

Oh yeah, French used.

_c'est la vie _- that's life

I hope you enjoy and THANK YOU AGAIN! I LOVE YOU ALL! Keep your eyes on the front page for possible updates and upcoming stories.

* * *

"Are you out of your mind? You weren't supposed to hit him that hard." Luxord stood watching Larxene nervously as she dug through Axel's person until she found every last gun he was hiding. His plan hadn't been too brilliant. He figured the best thing to do would be to knock out as many of the gangsters as they could and rush off with the money into the night. So far, Roxas and Axel were the only two they'd rendered unconscious, and dragging their motionless forms somewhere that they wouldn't be noticed proved more time consuming than anything. He felt admittedly a bit guilty about attacking a person while their back was turned. Thankfully, Larxene had no qualms about that sort of thing. "Are we done now?"

Larxene grumbled and slid her hand down Axel's pant leg. "He's got more guns on him than an army! Let me make sure I got them all. The last thing we want is for him to wake up and have something to shoot us with."

Luxord sighed. "Just hurry. I don't want anyone catching us."

"Got it!" Larxene pulled out a small pistol that had been tucked precariously close to Axel's manhood and handed it to Luxord. "Here, you can have this one."

Luxord grabbed the small gun and tucked it in his pocket. "Alright, let's go." He started out of the room and entered the hall quietly when he heard a commotion downstairs. He peered over the railing to see a handful of men in suits rushing through the front door which had been kicked off its hinges. "Christ! What the hell!"

"Shh…" Larxene pulled Luxord back from the railing. "The informant must've sent them in. There's nothing we can do now but use this to our advantage. Demyx said that the safe is kept out in the servant's quarters. I'll go there while you bring a car around."

Luxord shook his head vigorously. "I'm not leaving you. This is way too dangerous."

"We're more likely to get spotted if we stick together. We'll be quicker this way, trust me." Larxene pressed her mouth to Luxord's and smiled widely. "Besides, if that Laurent man or his fellow suits spot me, they know I'm an innocent in all this. They won't shoot at first and I'll just tell them I'm taking cover. They're more likely to shoot you so just get out the front and into a car."

"A-alright." Luxord hugged Larxene tightly. "Just… be careful, love."

"Don't worry, I will." Larxene smiled reassuringly and started down the stairs. She waited for Luxord to make his way out of the front of the mansion before sneaking her way quietly toward the kitchen. She heard the sound of shouting about three rooms from her and knew that the agents had likely caught someone on their way up from the speakeasy. She crept into the kitchen trying her best to see in the dark. She took a step toward the back door but froze as she heard the sound of a gun cock.

Naminé pressed her pistol to the back of Larxene's head. "Don't move. Show me your hands."

"N-Naminé!" Larxene lifted her hands slowly and displayed them to the girl. "What are you doing?"

Naminé scoffed and furrowed her brow, spinning Larxene around by her shoulder so that she could point her gun at the woman's face. "Don't play stupid! I know you turned us over to the feds."

Larxene shook her head. "Nam, I swear…"

"Shut up!" Naminé grit her teeth with tears now stinging in her eyes. "We had the perfect life here! Everything was wonderful! We could've been really happy, but you fucked it up! You bitch!"

"Naminé, I didn't!" Larxene looked down at the girl worriedly. A month ago she would have seriously doubted that Naminé would have the guts to hold a gun to her face, let alone pull the trigger. Now though, now she knew better. She had to be careful with her words or she wouldn't be walking out of this mess. "Listen to me, I would never turn you over. You're my best friend, despite everything and I was happy here!"

"You _knew_ that S. M. Laurent was a suit. You had to have known! Even if you didn't turn him over to us, you knew to warn us! But you didn't, you selfish bitch!" Naminé glared up at Larxene, tears now streaming down her face. "This was the happiest I've ever been in my life! I felt like I was really doing something worth while! I had everything here. But you let it get taken away!" She let her finger twitch over the trigger as she began to shake lightly.

"No! Naminé I promise you I…" Larxene was cut off by the sound of someone bursting through the kitchen door. She shot her gaze to the silhouette in panic and saw that it had a raised gun.

Saïx pointed his gun at the two women and recognized Larxene almost right away. He pointed his gun to the shorter blonde and furrowed his brow. "Lower your weapon or I'll shoot."

"Fuck you. I'll shoot." Naminé quickly turned her glare and her weapon toward the man in the doorway. She took a step back so that he would have to re-aim before he shot which gave her the advantage. She fired a shot off and watched with satisfaction as the bullet sailed into his gut. Sure enough, he fired back but his bullet only hit her shoulder. The pain she felt was instant and immense, but fury and adrenaline coursing through her let it all subside. She snapped her gun back at Larxene and growled. "Where were we?"

Larxene stared down at the girl with wide eyes. "Naminé, listen…"

"No! There's nothing for me to listen to! Everything is ruined now!" Naminé stared hard at Larxene. "The one bit of happiness I had and you took it…"

"Naminé, look. The other agents probably heard that shot. They'll be here any second and…" Larxene stopped as the girl repositioned the gun directly to her temple.

Naminé shook her head. "Don't worry. It won't take me that long to kill you at all."

Larxene cringed as the girl's finger shifted over the trigger. She heard a terrifying boom that she knew was a gun shot. But after a few seconds flew by she realized she hadn't been hit. She opened her eyes and saw with shock that Naminé was now doubled over on the ground with blood sprayed everywhere. "N-Naminé!"

"Come on, we don't have much time!" Demyx rushed over to Larxene and grabbed her hand.

"Y-you shot Naminé!" Larxene looked down at the girl's lifeless form before turning her gaze back to Demyx. "Why?"

"Are you serious? She was about to shoot you in the face!" Demyx pulled Larxene toward the back door. "Come on now. We really don't have time for this."

"Alright." Larxene glanced back at Naminé before allowing Demyx to lead her to the servant's quarters in the back of the mansion. Once they were inside he flicked on the light and she saw for the first time the safe that Marluxia had kept there. It was relatively small, likely so that it could be easily moved in emergency situations such as this. She wagered that she and Luxord could easily move it themselves. Demyx wasn't needed. As Demyx started over to the safe she pulled out a gun that she had taken from Roxas from the pocket of the pants she was wearing and pointed it at him. "Okay, just get away from the safe Demyx."

Demyx froze and looked up at Larxene with wide eyes. "What?"

Larxene cocked the gun nervously and aimed it at Demyx's head. "L-look, I don't want to hurt you, alright? But this is as far as you go! Luxord and I are taking the money and we're leaving."

"But Lar!" Demyx looked at Larxene pleadingly, scarcely able to believe what he was hearing. "You and I were going to do this together, darling! We were going to see the world. Don't be silly."

"I mean it, Demyx! You've got your inheritance back home. Go claim it. But Luxord and I… we have nothing. But with this we can live happily and that's all I want and if you love me like you say you do, you'll let us leave with at least this!" Larxene looked at him sadly. She felt on the verge of tears. "I don't want to shoot you, but I will if you try to stop us!"

Demyx took a step toward Larxene slowly. "Larxene, darling. You don't know what you're saying."

"Demyx! I mean it!" Larxene gripped the gun tighter and shook away the tears coming to her eyes. "Don't make me kill you."

Demyx's face fell. "Lar, come on. Its me! You've known me all your life. I've loved you for so long, are you really going to do this now?"

Larxene shook her head as more tears came flooding up. She didn't know if she could actually bring herself to shoot Demyx. He was a dear friend above all else and when it came down to it, she didn't know if she could take his life. "Demyx, don't be stupid!"

Demyx took a few more steps toward Larxene until he was within arms reach. The girl was trembling and obviously very torn. "Shh, shh… Come now, darling. You don't have to shoot me. I know you're scared and confused. Really, that's okay." He reached out and pulled her into his embrace as she began to sob.

Larxene fell into Demyx's arms and began to cry hysterically. She just wanted this, all of this, to be over. She didn't know why she thought this could all end smoothly. Now Naminé, her closest friend and confidant was dead. Her father would likely be killed soon, she didn't even know if Luxord himself was alright, and here she stood only seconds ago with a loaded gun pointed at her childhood friend. This was a wreck. She let Demyx pet her head gently as she cried but then she heard the sound of a gun shot followed an indescribable pain in her stomach. She froze and stared up at Demyx a moment but his gaze was emotionless. It took her a moment of looking between him and the empty doorway before she realized he had been the one that shot her.

Demyx smiled down at Larxene as realization dawned on her face and tucked his gun away. He tore her pistol from her hands and eased her down gently to the floor. "No offense, darling. But that money is mine and I'm not letting a damn thing get in my way. I loved you, but there isn't a girl in the world worth giving up that kind of money for. And splitting it three ways with that sad excuse of a husband of yours just isn't and option. You had your chance and you fucked up by choosing him."

Larxene stared up at Demyx furiously after the initial wave of shock wore off. "Y-you son of a bitch!"

Demyx shrugged. "Little words, Larxene. You've called me worse. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get to that safe and take care of business." He stepped over to the small safe and knelt down before it. "You know, the funny thing is that you lot are all too trusting. Marluxia, for example, gave every single one of his underlings the combination to the safe incase of emergency. While most were able to remember the number, you know Axel, he isn't the brightest of the bunch. He had to keep it written down on a piece of paper. Thankfully you and Luxord so kindly dispatched Axel so I met with no resistance when I had to fish this out of his coat pocket."

Larxene's face paled as she saw Demyx hold up a sliver of paper that she had earlier discarded as useless while searching through Axel's pockets. She grit her teeth and growled. "You've been planning this for a lot longer than you made it seem!"

Demyx glanced at Larxene and chuckled. "Not that long, really. Actually I had hoped we'd never reach this point, but it couldn't be helped. You see, Saïx found me stumbling through the streets in the French Quarter about three weeks ago. He'd been watching us for a while and knew exactly what we'd been doing. But we were small fish compared to the sharks he needed to catch. He offered me a deal and I took it. I turned over everyone else back home, including our fathers. Then I made my way here. It was never my intention to actually rob Marluxia, but the fool made it so dreadfully easy. And well, why should I sit around and wait for the feds to change their minds? No, I think I'll just be on my merry way. Really, it is so unfortunate it had to end this way darling, but c'est la vie."

"You unimaginable coward!" Larxene made an effort to sit up but she was loosing blood quickly and the pain prevented her from moving very much. "Ngh… I'll kill you."

"No, I don't think you will." Demyx smiled and turned his attention back to the safe. He began turning the dial on the safe when he heard the sound of a gun cock. He looked to Larxene in time to see her aim another pistol at him and shoot. The bullet flew into his right arm and he let out a pained scream. "Y-you bitch!" He stood quickly and kicked the gun out of her hand before kneeling down to slam her head against the floor. By the third time her head connected with the hardwood, she was unconscious. He stood furiously and clutched his arm where blood now seeped down. "You really are more trouble than you're worth."

"So are you." Luxord stepped into the servant's quarters with his gun aimed at the back of Demyx's head. He stepped closer to the man and glanced down at the lifeless blonde mass laying on the floor. At first he assumed it was Naminé based on Demyx's actions, but as he drew nearer he realized it was Larxene. "Wh-what happened to her?"

Demyx scoffed and turned around. "Does it matter?"

"It matters! You fucker, what did you do!" Luxord stepped closer to Larxene and nudged her with his foot gently. "Larxene! Larxene, love. W-wake up."

Demyx rolled his eyes and smirked. "She isn't waking up. She won't, ever again. And really, isn't it better this way? All my life she strung me along and she did the same to you. She was a spoiled, selfish, ungrateful little bitch and nothing else mattered to her but her own wellbeing! Come now, you can't still profess to love her after what she's done."

Luxord glared at Demyx, his hands shaking. "Don't you?"

"Well, I suppose I'll always love her. But life without her will be so much more simple. Besides, the money is worth killing anybody over." Demyx shrugged. "She would have killed you in a heartbeat for the money."

"No. No she wouldn't have! Because she had a heart and compassion and feelings! Despite how she acted, I could at least see that much! You hurt her. You son of a bitch, you hurt her!" Luxord stepped closer to Demyx with his gun ready. At first he couldn't believe that Demyx would hurt Larxene, but as he listened to the man talk it became more and more clear that he had done it, and intentionally at that. "Why?"

Demyx smirked. The way Luxord was trembling, it was clear he had qualms about taking the life of another human being. He reached into his pocket where his own gun was tucked away and cocked it as he began to speak. "I won't let anything stand in my way. And as you know, that includes you."

Luxord watched as Demyx pulled his hand quickly from his pocket. He gave the other man no time to act as he pulled his trigger. The bullet from his gun sailed into Demyx's chest before he could even raise his own weapon. He watched Demyx stumble backward and hit the wall before sliding slowly down. Luxord advanced on him quickly and raised his gun again to Demyx's head. The look of fear in the younger man's eyes was satisfying. He pulled the trigger again, shooting Demyx point blank in the face. With brains splattered all over the wall behind him, it was clear he would not be getting up to fight back. Luxord then turned and rushed over to Larxene. Her skin was pale and cold to the touch. "L-Larxene! Come on, love. Please wake up."

"If she does wake, it won't be for very long." Marluxia stood behind Luxord with arms crossed. "What a shame, such a beauty had to die. And so young."

Luxord cradled Larxene in his arms and looked down at her with tears pouring down his face. "D-Demyx hurt her."

Marluxia nodded. "I overhead the conversation. From the looks of it, he also killed my dear Naminé, and possibly S. M. Laurent as well. I commend you for ending his life. I didn't think you had it in you."

Luxord continued to stare down at Larxene, stroking her face gently. "He had it coming."

"Yes, as do we all." Marluxia smiled and pulled his gun from the holster on his hip. "I've come to give you a choice as far as that is concerned, by the way."

Luxord scoffed. "What kind of choice?"

"Unfortunately, I can not ignore the fact that you and your lovely wife plotted to steal money from me. Nor can I ignore that you knew about the feds for a while and didn't tell me. I don't take kindly to being double crossed, as you can imagine." Marluxia cocked the gun in his hand and aimed it at Luxord. "Thus, your choices are as follows. I can kill you now and you can die like a man. Or, you can go to prison and die in a cell all alone and broken decades from now."

"Some kind of choice." Luxord snickered and shook his head. "Alright, just give me a second." He lay Larxene down on the floor and kissed her lips softly. The tears he was crying dotted like little freckles along her face and neck. He pulled his mother's ring from his pinky finger and took up Larxene's hand, sliding it delicately onto her ring finger. He cupped her hand in his own and brought it to his lips sadly. "This… this I never had any right to take from you. I love you, and I always have. It is a symbol of just how much you truly mean to me and not once should I have ever taken it away." Luxord leaned down and pressed his lips to her forehead and then her mouth once more. "I love you Larxene."

Marluxia watched with interest as Luxord brushed the tears he had cried off the girl's face before standing slowly. As the British man advanced toward him he forced a smile. "Touching, really it was."

Luxord nodded. "Alright. I'm ready."

Marluxia nodded and raised his gun to Luxord's chest. He waited for the other man to nod one last time before pulling the trigger. Luxord fell backward to the ground and Marluxia followed him, re-aiming and firing at his chest once again to make certain that he died. He stepped over to where Demyx lay and nudged the boy's foot with his own which only caused his body to slump over onto the ground. "Here lies the County Paris, slain. And Romeo dead, and Juliet…" Marluxia furrowed his brow as a light cough escaped Larxene's lips. He stepped toward her slowly as she opened her eyes and let out a low groan. "So, you did wake up after all."

Larxene whimpered as her eyesight focused on Marluxia. "Wh-what happened?"

Marluxia chuckled and knelt beside Larxene. He tucked a stray strand of her hair behind her ear and cooed to her softly. "Oh, sweet. You've all killed each other over an empty safe."

It took a moment for Marluxia's words to make sense, but when they did Larxene stared up at him with wide eyes. "What?"

Marluxia made a tsk sound and shook his head. "Silly girl, I don't trust anyone. I personally empty that safe every night and take the money elsewhere. All this sneaking around and gun pointing and killing, it was all for nothing."

Larxene swallowed hard as tears began rising to her eyes. "Where's Luxord?"

"Don't worry your pretty little head about that now." Marluxia ruffled her hair and stood slowly with his gun ready. "Which reminds me. I've come to give you a choice…"

"Wh-what kind of choice?"


End file.
